A Story of Legends
by bondfan
Summary: C.E. 73. Two years have passed since the war ended. Now, as chaos engulfs the cosmos once again, new faces will work with old ones to discover the meaning of their existence. Sequal to A STORY OF HEROES. Main pairings, MxM, AxC, KxL. OC's galore! Read & R
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:** For all of you out there who have been waiting for this, I thank you for your patience during these off months. As was stated in the summary, this is the sequel to **_A Story of Heroes_**. I must ask all new readers to go back and read my previous work before you start reading this one, just to get you familiar with the storyline and the OC's I've created. Many of them will be back in this tale, by the way.

Back to business here, as expected this fanfic will mirror the entire SEED Destiny arc, though it will be clear very early on that this tale is my own version of what I believe _should_ have happened during Destiny. This will include new OC's, new mobile suits, and a different storyline, though many of the main characters, (e.g. Shinn, Luna, Rey, etc,) will all be featured in this fanfic. Though I must admit this. There is one major plot twist in Destiny that I have decided to omit entirely from this fanfic. For all of you who enjoyed Talia and Gilbert's relationship, turn back now. I've eliminated that portion of the arc completely. Talia and Gilbert are nothing more than fellow soldiers in this story, plus Gilbert is about the same age as Patrick and Siegel were in SEED and Talia is around Murrue and Mwu's age. Once again, I apologize, but I've decided that that portion had to go in order to fit my own storyline. More information on just a few of my OC's, (which will also give hints as to Gilbert's alternate lifestyle in my fanfic), is listed below.

_Bradley Bourdais_

_Age: 21_

_Species: Coordinator(2nd generation)_

_Affiliation: ZAFT_

_Vehicle: Slash ZAKU Warrior_

_Rank: Lieutenant Commander_

_Nickname: "Raven of Jachin Due"_

_Info: Air Commander of ZAFT warship Minerva. In command of Shinn, Lunamaria, and Rey. Only member of Minerva crew to have fought in the war two years ago. A private person normally, he doesn't like to talk about his experiences in the war._

_Roland Brunswick_

_Age: 28_

_Species: Coordinator(2nd generation)_

_Affiliation: ZAFT_

_Vehicle: Minerva_

_Rank: Lieutenant_

_Info: Personnel Coordinator and co-first mate of Minerva with Arthur Trine. Close friends with Arthur and Captain Talia Gladys since childhood. An open-hearted person with a good sense of humor._

_Kenneth Roske_

_Age: 46_

_Species: Coordinator(1st generation)_

_Affiliation: ZAFT_

_Rank: Supreme Council Representative_

_Family: wife Margery, son(believed to be deceased), son Felix_

_Info: Director of ZAFT Intelligence Department in peacetime. Infamous as the only Coordinator to ever sire a Natural child. A no-nonsense politician and a so-called, 'Man of the People'._

_Ian Dullindal_

_Age: 21_

_Species: Coordinator(2nd generation)_

_Affiliation: ZAFT_

_Rank: Ensign_

_Vehicle: Minerva_

_Family: father Gilbert, mother Natalie(deceased), sister Victoria_

_Info: Weapons analyst on Minerva. Is believed to be holding a grudge against his father for reasons unknown. Despite his attitude towards his father, he is very kind and caring when it comes to people close to him._

_Felix Roske_

_Age: 19_

_Species: Coordinator(2nd generation)_

_Affiliation: ZAFT_

_Rank: Ensign_

_Vehicle: Minerva_

_Family: father Kenneth, mother Margery, brother(believed to be deceased)_

_Info: Ship driver on the Minerva. Second child of Ken and Margery Roske. Born a Coordinator unlike his older brother was. Happy-go-lucky personality but is untouched in skill when it comes to piloting the Minerva during battle. Seems to go into a berzerker-like trance in battle._

_Victoria Dullindal_

_Age: 20_

_Species: Coordinator(2nd generation)_

_Affiliation: ZAFT_

_Rank: Ensign_

_Vehicle: Minerva_

_Family: father Gilbert, mother Natalie(deceased), brother Ian_

_Info: Chief medical officer on Minerva. Unlike her brother, she seems to be on good relations with her father. Has an open mind and a caring demeanor._

_Grant Worcester_

_Age: 20_

_Species: Natural_

_Affiliation: Orb_

_Rank: Ensign_

_Vehicle: M2 Astray_

_Info: A highly skilled pilot for the Orb Union with a mysterious, yet unknown past. One of five pilots for the top-secret, prototype M2 Astray mobile suit. He appears cold and uncaring on the outside and only speaks openly with people he knows he can trust._

_Hector Rodriguez_

_Age: 19_

_Species: Natural_

_Affiliation: Orb_

_Rank: Private 1st Class_

_Vehicle: M2 Astray_

_Info: Devoted member of Orb military and close friend of Grant Worcester. Like Grant, he comes from a shadowy past. Although not as high in rank, he is considered to be just as good a pilot as Grant. Regarded as a laid-back kind of guy, Hector is deeply motivated to protect his homeland and his large family._

That's all I have to say for now. So, I guess that means it's time for the second story to begin. To all of you out there who choose to read this, I say, enjoy!

_"Heroes get remembered...but legends never die." -George Herman "Babe" Ruth, The Sandlot._

_Life. Ever since the dawn of time, humans, animals, and every walk of life in the universe, has searched for its true meaning. People have scrounged the Earth and space, looking for clues as to the answer to the great mystery. da Vinci, Einstein, George Glenn. One by one they have sought to put the pieces of this puzzle together. Each has had their own theory as to why and how we humans were created. Stretching across the centuries, into the Cosmic Era, this quest has left many a human baffled and struggling to find not only the answer to life...but more importantly...himself._

_However, in recent years...that quest has been altered. Instead of searching for the answer to life...people search for the answer within their own genes. George Glenn's confession at the beginning of the Cosmic Era set into motion events that would forever shape the history of the Earth and the universe. Now people were separated in this great episode called life. On one side were the Naturals...the naturally born humans of this world who had walked the Earth since the times of Adam and Eve. On the other side...were the Coordinators...created by the Naturals themselves...the genetically altered humans with so-called superior abilities to the Naturals. George Glenn was the first of these Coordinators known to man. How many there were before him, no one will ever know. _

_For more than three decades Naturals and Coordinators lived side by side, despite the friction that was apparent from the very beginning. Sure, there were scattered outcries against the Coordinators and their genetically altered DNA. The most apparent of these were the cries of Blue Cosmos, the racial group that killed many Coordinators in attacks stemming from anger over their "superior" abilities. But for the most part...Naturals and Coordinators lived in peace during that time. There were no obvious cried for blood-shed in public. It was often common to see members of each race working with one another in peace...no fighting...no anger. Jealousy was there...everyone on the Earth knew it. But they had no reason to fight one another. The world was at peace._

_As more and more Coordinators were being brought into the world with advanced genetic engineering techniques, many people wanted to genetically engineer their babies. By Cosmic Era 50, the population of the Coordinators had exceeded 50 million. At that time...a scattered few scientists began to conjur up a theory that seemed to be too outrageous to even attempt. Could a Natural...and a Coordinator...be one in the same? Have the genetics of both races in one body? In essence...could a human have the body of a Natural...with the genes of a Coordinator built into them? For many scientists, the answer to that question was a simple...no. The human genes would not allow for the creation of a Natural/Coordinator. Genes were too fragile to attempt such a thing. It was unheard of for a Natural to give birth to a Coordinator without the presence of genetic engineering. And it was just as impossible for a Coordinator to give birth to a mere Natural. The child's genes would not allow it to happen. For years afterward, the theories died out and the proposal was put to rest. It would not happen and it did not happen. Well...let us never say never. There was...one incident...in which that almost occured..._

_In March of Cosmic Era 53 a young, apprising Coordinator policitican and businessman named Kenneth Roske and his wife Margery welcomed the birth of their first child on the PLANT of Aprilius One. It was a boy, the offspring of two genetically altered Coordinators. But within days the medical personnel discovered that all was not right with the child. After examining the infant's DNA, doctors were horrified when they discovered that the genes were not up to the same level of advancement as those of other Coordinator infants. After more tests were done on the infant, the doctors confirmed the impossible. The boy's genes were not that of a Coordinator. His abilities, albeit infantile ones, were not up to those of a regular born Coordinator. They were not even up to the standards of even the most slightly altered genes of Coordinators. It seemed unthinkable, but it was true. The infant...was a Natural, the first to be sired from two Coordinators. When the news reached Roske, he was furious. Furious enough that he didn't even treat the child as his own, even going to the extent of striking the mere days-old infant across the head and opening up a five inch gash over the child's left eye. Roske did not want to suffer the humiliation of being the first Coordinator to ever sire a Natural, so he kept the affair a secret to most of the public. Instead, he ordered his wife Margery to send the child away, or if necessary...kill the child. Margery at first appeared to abide by her husband's decree, sending the child away to be killed. But in reality, Margery had secretly hidden the child with a close friend, who in turn sent the baby boy to Earth, where he would be taken in by the citizens of the Earth. But before she sent her first-born away, Margery passed on a small treasure of her own heart to him. A small, silver locket that she placed around his tiny neck before she sent him on his way. The entire incident was covered up and not spoken of outside of the public ear after less than two months...more than likely because a year later, Margery gave birth to the couple's second child. This one a full Coordinator. But the memories of her first son would stay with her for the rest of her life._

_Within two years all hell had broken loose. George Glenn was murdered by a jealous Natural who was upset about not having been made a Coordinator. A decade and a half of clashing began between both races as the PLANTs and the Earth quarreled constantly. Year after year it went on and year after year, the tensions built. Violence began to erupt on both sides. The inevitable was happening. Both sides were drawing ever closer to conflict._

_Finally, it did happen. February 14, Cosmic Era 70. The Bloody Valentine. The Earth Alliance nuclear attack on the PLANT of Junius Seven took the lives of 243,721 Coordinators, including the relatives of many of the ZAFT Supreme Council members. War was on. Within months both sides were fighting ferociously both in space and on the Earth. With the technological advancements made during the Cosmic Era, this war was different from any other. Fought with new machines never before seen in war. Mobile suits. Both sides used them frequently as the war dragged on into C.E. 71. Many key figures on both sides, including Earth Alliance Admirals Lewis Halberton, Niles McCarthy, and William Sutherland, Blue Cosmos leader Murata Azrael, Orb Chief Representative Uzumi Nara Athha and Admiral Fernando Cantarii, PLANT Representatives Siegel Clyne, Ezalia Joule, and Patrick Zala, and countless others were all killed during the conflict. _

_At last in November of Cosmic Era 71, both sides reached a tentative cease fire agreement. An armistace was officially declared in April of Cosmic Era 72 with the signing of the Junius Treaty by Earth Alliance General Woodrow Bradford and PLANT Supreme Council Chairman Eileen Canaver. The war was over, but the tension still remained. Even two years after the war's end, both sides continued to develop newer and more powerful mobile suits and warships. But in the meantime, both sides are still living at peace, seeking to offer consolation to both sides. In the background however, the vapors of conflict still exist, just waiting for one spark to ignite them and plunge the world into chaos once again..._

The empty void known as space was quiet at this time. Stars blinked bright white in the distance and the only visible light at a relatively close distance was the slight glare from the golden sun. Imagine the dismay the cosmos felt the instant the large object intruded upon its feral grounds. Like a hawk, swooping in on its unsuspecting pray, the object arrived with such suddenness that it would have startled even the bravest of souls. The object was dark, ominous, and unwavering as it slowly crept across the dark horizon. If one focused his or her eyes just right, they could make out the difference in color the object displayed. A little bit of red here. Gray there. And even some white mixed in. Two wing-like things jutted out of the object's sides near its rear, where white flames were cascading from a quartet of powerful engines which pushed it along on its steady course towards nowhere in particular.

Inside the object, on the top portion called the bridge, sticking silently into the heavens from the object's mid-section, the was just the sound of silence. Ever so often a quiet click or pink would sound there, but not much. There were other beings inside the bridge, sitting silently in their chairs as they stared blankly forward at the dim lights emulating from the screens in front of them. At the front of the bridge, below the main concourse area where the majority of the bridge crew was located, shrowded by a veil of darkness, the only light to be seen eminating from their blue screened consoles, were three individuals, seated in a v-shape formation at their stations. One individual was easily a few years older than the other two, who couldn't be more than twenty-five apiece. He sat on the left and had a thin brown beard drawn across his chin and an equally colorful mustache that gave his equal lined face some much needed complexion and his all black clothes suggested that he was of superior rank to the others. The one across from him wore spectacles on his nose, with short, wavy black hair and his eyes were dark and with a shade mystery. The individual in the middle was easily the youngest of the three. Black hair stuck out on the top of his head, his hands securely wrapped around the control in front of him as he guided the object through space and controlled the object's speed with the gears on his right side. Behind and above them at the rear of the bridge, where the concourse was illuminated in bright white light, were several more individuals, crouched over their consoles, several of them having the same, emotionless expression on their faces. One of them, the sole girl in the group, with bright red pig-tails hanging down the sides of her face, easily was the youngest of the entire gathering of people. She could be no more than 17, though she maintained her composure like a veteran soldier. At the center was another individual clad in an all black uniform. He was clean-shaven and had a black cap on his head that hid most of his turquoise colored hair, though some locks did manage to creep down the back of his head and onto his neck. His face was unique in the fact that it seemed to be molded entirely of clay, as if someone had just taken it out of a blazing fire and molded it to its now oblong shape. Finally, in the very center of the bridge, sat a figure clad in all white with black boots and a white cap. This one was a woman. She was very beautiful, but her face had the serious look of a no-nonsense military type. Her blonde hair was cut short to where it fell to just below her neck, stretching forward to cover her ears at the sides, and her figure was tall and slender as she sat calmly in the chair that seemed to signify her superior rank to all the others. All of these individuals together said not a word to one another as the object continued to push through the black mass all around them. Maybe it was because they were afraid that if they said something, the entire mission would go down the drain.

At last, almost allowing the crew a sigh of relief, the woman in the center of the bridge said firmly in her deep voice, "Lieutenant Trine, status report on _Minerva _progress."

"All systems appear to be functioning at full capacity, Captain," the green haired individual said from behind her in a crisp, accented voice. His fingers flew across the keyboard in front of him as he added, "Output flow increase is stable. Mechanisms to all outer systems are operational. Power levels are normal. All readings indicate she is running at maximum efficiency today, Captain."

The Captain seemed unmoved. "Ensign Dullindal?" she demanded. "Weapons report, please."

"All weapons are functioning normally ma'am," the young soldier with the glasses reported in a deep voice that seemed to have just been cast upon him in his recent years. "Taunhauser is registering normal input and output levels as well as a nine-to-five ratio on all laser designators and targeting systems. All systems green."

"Course and speed, Ensign Roske?" the Captain ordered.

"Current vector red one-nine-zero, mark twenty-nine delta. Course speed 600, attitude good." the soldier at the front of the bridge reported. "_Minerva_ is flying well today, Captain."

"Excellent," the Captain said calmly. "Lieutenant Brunswick, status report from the engine room and hangars?"

"Deck crew this is the bridge," the goateed man said calmly into his head-set, "requesting status report."

From down below in the bowels of the ship, the reply came cool and calm. "Deck crew here, all systems are functioning normally."

"Engine room, here. All systems are green as well."

"Lieutenant Commander Bourdais?" the Captain asked into the phone on the side of her chair. "Do you read me?"

"I read you loud and clear, Captain Gladys," came a velvety voice on the other end of the line. It was muffled from the helmet that blocked the speaker's face from the radio. "All mobile units are standing by and ready to go at your order, ma'am."

"Very good," Captain Gladys said, signing off.

Back inside his small space, the velvety voice switched frequencies and spoke into the radio again. "Free Flight, this is Raven One. All wings report in and report status."

"Gunner, standing by," replied a clear, pleasant female voice.

"Phantom, standing by," came a more convictional, deep voice.

The lead individual waited a few more seconds for another reply, but it never came. "Impulse?" he said into the radio. No response. "Impulse? _Hello? _Hey kid, do you read me?"

A small burst of static came through the radio followed by a quick, "Impulse, all green," from the other end. Bourdais smiled to himself and signed off.

As the _Minerva_ continued to drift through space, a vague uneasiness suddenly began to overcome the crew. Something was not right. All of them could sense it in the air. It was just as quiet as it had been only minutes before...but now...there was just something about it. It was _too_ quiet all of a sudden.

The still silence was rudely interrupted by a simple chime. It started slow and quiet at first, then gradually got louder and faster. It was emulating from a console at the rear of the bridge. The Captain turned her head slightly to her left to point her gaze back towards the sound's origin, as did many of the others on the bridge. The chime continued to sound as the soldier at the console typed in commands briskly on the keyboard in front of him and squinted his large, oblong-shaped eyes in disgust at what he saw.

"Detecting heat source approaching rapidly from quadrant four-delta," he reported quickly. "Scanning...confirmed...it's a warship engine."

"Identify!" Captain Gladys ordered.

"Matching heat sources now, Captain," the girl replied. "Does not match any registered ZAFT or PLANT model, ma'am."

"Ship is continuing to approach, ma'am," the first soldier added. "Detecting speed increase."

"It's coming right for us, Captain," the girl added. "Radar detects laser and target designators activated."

"All hands to full alert status!" the Captain commanded. "Identify that ship and report! Engines to maximum and begin evasive maneuvers!"

"Load all missile tubes and activate CIWS!" Lieutenant Trine added. "Ensign Dullindal prepare the Taunhauser and Tristan as well!"

"Yes, sir," the soldier with the glasses reported.

"Lieutenant Brunswick?" the Captain asked the officer below her.

"Commander Bourdais, place your units on launch ready immediately," the officer ordered. "Prepare for launch at moment's notice. Catapult crew, stand by."

"All units, stand by and prepare to launch!" the velvety voice commanded neutrally. Inside their respective cockpits, the units known as Gunner and Phantom sighed uneasily at the order. On the other hand, Impulse remained quiet and tightened his grip on the controls in front of him.

"Course status, Ensign Roske," Captain Gladys demanded.

"Course twenty-six orange charlie, ma'am," the driver reportedly flawlessly. "Speed 800 and increasing."

"Target has changed course to intercept," the girl said from behind them. "Coming in at point six-three-three gamma!"

"Beside us?" Lieutenant Trine said incredulously. "It has to be pretty swift to be able to move _that_ fast."

"If they get us in the side, we'll be finished," the Captain said quietly, mostly to herself. "Ensign Roske, twenty to starboard, we'll present less of a target if we head straight towards them. Ensign Dullindal, prepare all weapons to fire! Lower the bridge!"

"Yes, ma'am!" As the ship began to turn beneath them, the crew on the bridge was now in a frenzy, working as quickly as they could at their consoles to protect their ship. On the outer hull, missile tubes on the starboard side swung open to space and the ship's mighty Taunhauser cannon emerged from its hiding place at the front bow of the ship. At the same time, with hardly any sound at all, the top portion of the bridge began to slowly sink down into the bowels of the ship. Soon, the brightly lit portion of the bridge where the Captain and others had been was now at an even level with the one the ship's driver, weapon's analyst, and third officer were working.

"Detecting missile launch!"

"Evade! Thirty to starboard!" Captain Gladys commanded quickly. "Aim missiles to the intercept!"

"Confirmed twenty strikes heading right for us," Trine added.

On the radar screen, the streaks of the missiles could be seen heading directly towards the _Minerva _at break-neck speed. "Missile impact, ten seconds!"

"Fire!" the Captain shouted. At his station, Dullindal delicately pressed the fire button and sent a barrage of retaliation missiles out to interecept the attack. The radar showed that a good portion of the targets were eliminated and also indicated that the manveuver the ship had just executed would put the others well beyond their destination. But that didn't help when the next bit of news filtered tot the bridge.

"Confirmed launch of mobile suits from the enemy ship!" a soldier reported.

Captain Gladys hissed dejectedly through her clenched teeth at the news. The enemy was coming all out to destroy them. _A veteran team and commander no doubt_, she thought. "Lieutenant Brunswick, launch the mobile suits!" she ordered. "Ensign, I.D. those machines!"

"Seven Dagger L's and about ten mobile armors, ma'am," came the reply.

"Do you have that Commander?" the pig-tailed girl asked the helmet-clad individual on her screen.

"Roger that, bridge," he responded quickly and professionally. "All units, listen up! Gunner, Phantom, follow me. We'll launch first and take it right to 'em. Gunner get behind the _Minerva_ and provide top-side cover. Phantom, you'll stay with me." He riddled off the commands like a machine, never missing a word or a command. "Impulse! Wait two minutes after we launch before you head out. We'll draw 'em away for a little bit so you can get yourself oriented. After that, come join us and we'll lead the bastards away from the ship."

"Roger," came the simultaneous replies from all three of his pilots.

"Fire!" the Captain shouted. The Taunhauser cannon unleashed its fury upon the enemy, two of the mobile armors disappearing from the radar screen. That didn't stop the enemy from keeping close to them. The rest of the mobile suits continued to press on, spreading out like the wings of an eagle to cut off the _Minerva's_ potential escape routes. The warship remained at the same distance it had been, now behind the _Minerva_ thanks to the ship's quick turn to avoid the smoking missiles coming to destroy them.

"Contact at point seven-zero, charlie!" someone shouted.

"Evade! To port!" Captain Gladys commanded sternly.

At the bow of the ship, the hatch to the hangar came open slowly, almost crawling as it spread itself across opening, revealing the black, wide open space beyond. The dim light from the stars in the distance lit up the hangar slightly, revealing a white and violet colored mobile suit with yellow eyes. Beside the machine, a sort of shelf system that held all sorts of weapons systems produced a weapons pack and mounted it quickly onto the machine's back, completing the design. Inside the cockpit of his Slash ZAKU Warrior, Commander Bradley Bourdais sighed to himself. _I had hoped I would never have to do _this_ again._ "Catapult connection confirmed, stand by," came the cool, feminine voice inside his helmet. "Course clear for launch. You may proceed."

"Bourdais...ZAKU heading out!" The sign above him winked all green and the catapult engaged beneath him, sending his machine flying out into space, though he felt barely a thing inside his cockpit. As he headed out into the space beyond, he saw his fellow pilots, Gunner and Phantom follow with their own ZAKU units. Phantom's machine was the standard colors of the original ZAKU Phantom, while Gunner's machine was custom painted bright pink which contrasted sharply with the black space behind them.

As soon as he entered the vast space in front of him, Bourdais had to pull back hard on the stick to avoid the beam shots being directed right for his purple and white ZAKU. He grumbled silently to himself that his own paint scheme didn't mix well with the black space either. He quickly reoriented his machine so that he could fire back, immediately returning fire with the two Hydra Gatling beam cannons lodged on top of his mobile suit's backpack. The enemy Dagger L's swooped in on the offensive, splitting off from one another in order to dodge Bourdais' shots. He moved quickly upwards, vacating his past position and soared above the _Minerva_. The ship had many of its weapons blazing, lighting up the once black landscape. He could see Phantom roaring up towards him, performing a series of pirouettes in order to dodge the fire coming from the two Daggers on his tail. "Rey, turn to starboard and follow me. We gotta buy us some time or else we're all gonna be sucking on space, soon."

"Roger, that," came Phantom's voice in response. Bourdais withdrew one of his beam axes from his backpack and dove to his right, Phantom following in his wake.

On the bridge, the Captain said, "Is Shinn ready for takeoff yet?"

"Almost, Captain," came the red-head's response.

In the hangar, the Core Splendor fighter jet was mounted onto the ship's main catapult. "Core Splendor, prepare for takeoff. Raise central catapult." Inside the cockpit, the pilot pressed a few buttons on the console in front of him, while his other hand adjusted its grip on the control stick position in between his legs. At this point, he could feel the ground beneath him begin to move up, up towards the main hatch where his fellow pilots had just departed. Based on the chatter echoing through the static filled radio waves, he could already tell and feel that there was about to be, if not already, a fight. "Impulse. After you have confirmed your combat status, please go ahead and launch," the girl's voice said inside his helmet. Nodding to himself, the pilot double checked his modules and sighed out of both his nasal and mouth cavities. He listened silently to the orders going through his helmet as pertaining to his impending launch. "Chest Flyer, Leg Flyer, stand by for takeoff...Force Module selected. Silhoutte Flyer, stand by...Core Splendor, commencing launch sequence..." In a matter of seconds, he was staring at space just beyond his position, appearing so inviting at the end of the hatch. His hand wrapped around the throttle switch to his left and secured it tightly within his grasp.

"Phantom watch your back, you got two bogeys trailing!" came Leader's voice.

"Let's circle around and we'll hit 'em from the other side!" was the response.

Impulse keyed his radio. "What's the enemy battle strength?" he asked, or demanded more or less.

"As of this moment, a warship, class unknown, seven Dagger Ls, and eight mobile armors. Be mindful that there very well could be more enemies out there, so be careful."

"Roger, that." Sparing a glance above him, he watched the signal board at the end of the access way slowly change from red ABORT signs to blue CLEAR signs. It was time to go to work.

"Core Splendor, all systems online. Commencing takeoff sequence!" The sign flashed a quick message, a simple LAUNCH sign colored in blue. The pilot slowly brought the throttle control forward and just as slowly the jet's engines came online in a flash of white flame. Suddenly, he was thrown back into his seat as the central catapult fired, sending the Core Splendor out of the hangar at a fantastic speed. Once outside, the pilot turned his machine onto its port side and began to rotate his craft in a slow barrel roll, which served as a means to get himself oriented with the battlefield and to make sure that anyone brazen enough to fire upon him would have a lesser chance of scoring a direct hit. "Deploy Silhoutte Flyer!" He glanced behind him and saw another object emerge from his ship's hatch. It was quickly followed by a third, then a fourth. All of his accessories had been launched without incident.

_Minerva_ swung itself into a wide, starboard turn, all weapons blazing, lighting up space with a flurry of dazzling shots from guns and missiles. Being cautious, Gunner kept herself close to the ship, staying almost parellel to the bridge as it turned along with the warship. She brought her long range armaments forward and launched a series of shots at a duo of enemy machines that were on the verge of surrounding both Leader and Phantom who were busy with other machines. Squinting against her targeting bracket, Gunner fired again and, like the previous shots, they were too high. She shook her head and blinked profusely. If she wasn't accurate, the outcome of this fight would likely end in bad shape for them.

With his beam axe still clutched in his hand, Leader dove beneath one of the mobile suits in his line of sight. The Dagger fired its rifle at him as he sped towards it, but a series of rolls, combined with rapid accelerations and decelerations, put Leader beneath the enemy machine. He sliced sideways with his axe, cutting through the Dagger's left leg in one swipe. Turning himself upright, he activated his Hydra cannons and sprayed the Dagger's back with small bursts of fire, leaving his enemy stationary just long enough. From a short distance away, Phantom was able to get off an accurate shot and reduced the machine to a cloud of smoking metal debris.

Something turned up on Leader's radar screen in front of him. It was colored in blue, signifying a friendly. And there were four of them. "Shinn made it out," Phantom called.

"Give him some cover Rey, I'll take care of these guys." He received an affirmative and watched Phantom leave. Two more Daggers appeared in place of Phantom, causing Leader to sigh in angst. Giving his beam axe a quick twirl in his hand, he dove back into the fight.

At a good distance from the battle, the pilot of the Core Splendor activated his machine's transformation ability and suddenly the wings of the fighter jet folded into the interior of the cockpit, making the cockpit _the_ machine. He pulled back on the throttle switch and held his course as two of his needed pieces zoomed towards him from behind. Taking his time, he flipped several switches and felt and heard the clangs of his adjoining parts coming into position with the cockpit, one from below and one from above. A head sprouted out of the top piece, giving the machine a human look. Finally, he jolted forward in the cockpit as he felt his weapons pack connect into his back, completing the new design. As he turned around back towards the fight, the color of his machine changed from dark gray to an array of colors including blue, white, and red.

"Shinn. Are you all right?" He saw Phantom come beside him.

He reached into his machine's hip socket and withdrew a beam saber, its light a blinding flash to those around them. "Just fine." With a quick punch of the throttle, he was on his way to the fight.

Leader faced a Dagger that was firing its rifle with consider skill in his direction. The enemy mobile suit had had him in his line of sight for quite some time now, but Leader knew that eventually he would have to slacken his onslaught sooner or later in order to reorient his machine's specs. When that occurred, he would have his chance to strike. He saw that chance when the Dagger suddenly brought its rifle close to its body and readjusted its aim. Reaching behind him, Leader hurled his beam axe in the Dagger's direction. Immediately thereafter, he punched the throttle and roared forward. The Dagger seemed ready for the attack, for he intercepted the incoming projectile with his shield, catching the axe square in the middle. What he didn't see until it was too late, was Leader's second attack. He rushed forward quickly, and with a quick slash and thrust, effectively sliced the enemy machine in half with his beam tomohawk. The Dagger exploded and among the pieces of shrapnel flying towards him, Leader managed to pick out his battle axe and deposit it into its place inside his shield.

"Leader, watch your back!" He snapped his head to his right, barely managing to see an incoming mobile armor before something bright struck the craft, shredding it to pieces. Leader looked up and smiled as he saw the brightly colored mobile suit heading into the fight.

"Thanks kid!" he called out. "Hey, what do you say we teach these guys a lesson in what happens when you try to attack the newest members of the PLANT fleet." As if to answer his question, Impulse and Phantom raced past. Leader quickly followed in their wake.

Recocking her long-range rifle, Gunner waited patiently inside the cockpit. The mobile armor she'd been tracking for the past few seconds had been on the move constantly. Maybe it was because it could sense that it was being targeted, but she wasn't worried about that. She waited. And waited. Finally, she saw it. She got off one quick shot, red energy spraying from her rifle. The shot caught the mobile armor as it was making its turn to head back in her direction. She nailed it in the rear portion and as flames began to shoot out the rear of the machine, it disappeared from her view.

"Enemy warship has ceased its barrage, ma'am," Lieutenant Trine reported on the bridge. "It looks as if it's turning its attention towards our mobile suits."

"Give them support," the Captain commanded. "We'll target the ship while it's preoccupied-"

"Hold on a sec." The other black clad individual punched in several commands on his keyboard and a few new images came into view. "She's not going in the direction of our machines at all...it looks like she's-"

"Raise bow 20! Increase speed to maximum thrust. Then port forty degrees. Activate all port side weapons when we make the turn. Aim Taunhauser! Fire on my command!" The _Minerva_ started to rise, its nose pointing up. Then suddenly it lurched sideways as the ship's engines pushed into high gear and its rudder turned sharply to port at the same time. A few seconds later, her port side cannons opened up on the incoming enemy. As it turned out, the enemy warship was indeed _not_ going after the mobile suits. In fact, it had tried to bait the _Minerva_ into believing that it was and instead had reversed course to put its forward guns in a position to target her backside when she went to help her mobile suits. By turning to port, the _Minerva_ had put itself in prime position to attack. Successive shots from the Tristan cannons struck the enemy ship's forward portions, shredding weapons to pieces and punching holes into the hull. "Fire Taunhauser!" The crippling shot followed immediately afterward before the enemy had time to respond. The Taunhauser cannon's mighty blast tore through the ship just above the engines, causing a massive explosion near the rear portion of the ship, tearing apart its engines in the process.

"Enemy ship is decelerating, ma'am. Looks like we knocked out her engines," Lieutenant Brunswick informed the bridge.

"Laser targeting has ceased, Captain," the girl added.

"Keep an eye on them," Captain Gladys ordered. "Inform Commander Bourdais and the others. How are they at this point?"

"Commander Bourdais and Rey have suffered minor damage, but they say it's nothing serious," was the answer. "There are still two mobile suits out there, ma'am. Looks like all the mobile armors have been destroyed already."

"Have the Commander and Rey return! Tell Impulse and Gunner to follow as soon as they've dispatched with the remaining machines."

From a distance, the ship's mobile suits could see the brightly colored signal flares illuminated the black space surrounding the _Minerva_. Based on tactics learned in the previous war, new techniques had been devised when firing signal flares, such as different sizes and colors, in order to give precise orders to the mobile suits. "They're calling us back?" Phantom said out loud.

"It's just for me and you, Rey," Leader informed him. "They probably don't want to take a chance on us getting nailed out here after we've taken damage. Gunner, give us some cover. Impulse, what's your status?"

"Hang on, I'll be right there!" The enemy Dagger fired a succession of quick bursts from its rifle, some coming perilously close to grazing Impulse as he swung himself in a wide arc in order to dodge the shots. He brought his shield up to block a few shots before taking aim with his own rifle. Three quick shots threw the Dagger off guard long enough for Impulse to pop him once in the head with his rifle, taking the machine's cranium completely off. Impulse raced after the retreating mobile suit and with one quick slash of his beam saber, took down the last machine in his sight. "Got him!" he called out.

"Nice job, kid," Leader responded. "Get back to the ship. Our job's done!"

"Is that the last of them?" Gunner asked to no one in particular.

"Negative. Sensors indicate that there's still one enemy machine out there. Watch yourselves!" the pig-tailed girl said.

"There's still one left?" Phantom asked more than said.

"Can you see 'em?" Leader demanded.

"I can't see anything other than what's in front of me with my radar messed up," Phantom said.

"Keep your eyes open, guys!" Leader shouted. "He could be anywhere."

Impulse rocketed back towards the _Minerva_, desperately scanning the seemingly empty areas near the ship. Where could that last enemy be? He could have sworn they'd already defeated all of the enemy mobile units and by the looks of it, the _Minerva_ had already taken care of the enemy warship. So where...?

Something caught his eye a few meters away. It was barely visible, but he could tell that something was wrong. All of a sudden, a star had disappeared, seemingly engulfed by space. Then it reappeared a few moments later. It happened to another star...then another. The mysterious pattern seemed to be moving along a certain path. He tensed inside the cockpit and then shoved the throttle forward for all it was worth. "Lunamaria, watch out!" he cried. Up ahead, Gunner glanced behind her, but not quickly enough, for the last Dagger, in camouflage black and navy blue to blend in with space, had managed to slip in behind her and bring its rifle to bear upon her machine. She tried to move, but it was too late. Impulse charged past her with his beam saber drawn. He cried out as he slashed forward with his weapon, impailing the Dagger upon his sword, but not before the machine managed to fire off three shots with its beam rifle, each one catching Gunner square in the torso, sending her now flaming machine plummeting away from him. Not even noticing the explosion in front of him curtesy of the last machine whom he'd just destroyed, Impulse watched in horror as his friend fell away from him. He cried out, "Lunamaria! Lunamaria, answer me!" Inside her cockpit, Gunner didn't respond. Her vision had suddenly gone black, she could see nothing in around her except for a short phrase scrolled across her front viewport, exemplifying her failure to notice the last machine. She cursed herself. Yet again, she'd failed. Then suddenly, everything, including her own figure, was engulfed by darkness...

The large screen, nearly ten feet in length and five feet high, dissolved itself into a field of black that seemed to be darker than the chunk of space which it had just displayed. A few moments later, a cropping of light blue lights slowly came alive until they managed to illuminate the large chamber they hung above fairly effectively. Inside the chamber's middle were twelve individuals, seated around a circular table, each with a monitor in front of them upon which they could access other details from the images that had just finished playing on them, as well as on the bigger screen on one of the chamber's outer walls. As the lights came on, each individual seated around the table slowly turned their head to face the thirteenth person in the room. The man was clothed in a white uniform, much like the one that the woman in the images had been wearing. He stood just to the right of the screen at full attention, his officer's cap clutched beneath his left arm.

He began to speak. "The images you've just seen...dictate the full results of the final simulation run for the new warship _Minerva_, the new ZGMF-X25S Impulse, and all the other particulars relating to them. The simulation was set at one of the highest difficult settings and special attention was paid to the detail involving the enemy machines. As you can see, the ship and her crew fared remarkably well during this simulation...with the exception of the last instances, but granted we, as well as you as I recall, expected that the results wouldn't be perfect. Because of these results and taking into account the reactions of the crew, we among the ZAFT Defense Fleet can now honestly say without restraint, that the _Minerva_ and her crew are more than ready for entry into the Fleet. Thank you for your attention, this concludes the Fleet's analysis and my report." Raising his right arm to a point just in front of his forehead at a downward angle of about fifty degrees, the officer saluted and snapped his heals together before making his retreat into the darkened inlet beneath the large screen, virtually disappearing from the chamber, leaving the twelve others seemingly alone.

For a fairly large amount of time, nothing was spoken by any of the twelve. Their faces displayed each of their emotions rather inconspicuously, but because of their occupations this wasn't too surprising. Each member of the group wore either of two things. It was either a violet colored uniform which represented high military status, or navy blue suits with red and green vests. There was one in particular who stood out from the others however. He was adorned in relatively white garb with a long jacket. His long black hair was just below his shoulders and his eyes were a dark shade of violet. It was he who was the first of the group to speak, his voice a deep, serene melancholy echoing throughout the chamber.

"I'm certain that all of you have reactions to what we've just seen. I would, and so would everyone else here for that matter, be very interested to here them before we reach our final decision," he said. He glanced around the entire table once and seemed to relax back into his chair.

The first to speak was the man immediately to his right. He was a tad bit shorter than the first and wore the violet uniform of a military officer. "Based on those results I think we can safely agree that the ship and its crew have exceeding our expectations even to this point," General Yuri Amalfi of the National Defense Committee began. "I also would like to point out that while these simulations that the crew has been running are _not_ a reflection of what actions such adversaries will take on the battlefield, the way the ship and its crew, namely the mobile suit pilots have been able to adapt to changing situations during the runs has been nothing short of impressive. With that in mind, I would have to agree with the representative from the Defense Fleet that now may be the time for us to bring the new ship into service."

"I agree." This voice was that of another military man, seated two places to Yuri's right. He appeared to be considerably older than anyone else at the table, his hair and thin mustache streaked with gray, and his voice carried a rasping convection that suggested he'd done a lot of yelling and arguing throughout his life. "The sooner we get that ship into service, the better in my opinion."

"However, General Wolff," a woman on the opposite side of the table interrupted. The former Council Chairman Eileen Canaver continued, "while I agree with you and General Amalfi's assesment of the situation, we cannot afford to be too rash in this situation. If we rush the crew into battle, and given the fact of how young they are, we may be comitting a grave injustice not only to ourselves but also to everyone among us."

"I understand that," General Henry Wolff replied, "but it would be just as equal an injustice if he held that ship out for too long. That ship will without a doubt be the heart of our fleet for years to come. If we delay its launch too long we'll lose precious time in case something drastic happens."

"But nothing drastic _has_ happened to this point, General," she pointed out.

"Are we really certain that it would be in good judgment to send a crew as young as this into battle so soon after they were assigned to the ship?" another Council member put in.

"They've all proven themselves to be excellent grade military people already," General Wolff said, his voice now carrying a slight edge to it.

"But they're just out of the academy-"

"What he means is that while they may show excellent composure during the simulation runs, they haven't proven themselves to be an effective fighting unit on a _real_ battlefield," Eileen spoke up. "Now granted that they are young, they've shown that they have extraordinary instincts during a hard fight, so I'm inclined to believe that they are in fact ready to be brought into active service, albeit just for the purpose of actually being in the fleet."

"I'm also impressed with the pilot of the new machine, Asuka I think his name is," Chairman Dullindal said. "He's only sixteen years old and we chose to put him at the controls of our newest mobile suit and he's piloted it like he's been a veteran for years."

"Our decision to assign him to the machine seems to become more valid by the day," General Wolff added.

"He's only in the machine because Commander Joule turned it down, though," came a reply.

"Regardless of the fact, he's still proven himself to be a gifted pilot who we cannot afford to have sitting on the sidelines."

"You're acting as if the Earth Forces are already getting set to attack us again." This accusation caused General Wolff to literaly rise up from his chair before the man to his immediate left, Tad Elsman, reached up to stop him.

"Who said anything about the Earth Forces in the first place?" he demanded.

"Committee members, please!" Dullindal shouted. At once the chamber descended into silence. Wolff sat down again and Gilbert sighed. "Now that the Earth Forces have been brought into this argument...we now must consider the fact that the _Minerva_ and the Impulse were developed in complete secrecy with the help of technicians supplied by the Orb Union during the war. We've yet to see any serious discontent directed towards us by either side, but it is clear by the reports we've been receiving courtesy of the Intelligence Department that some of the people who we formerly treated as enemies are now becoming more and more disinclined to trust us since we announced the development of the new warship." He glanced to his left. "Representative Roske. Do you think the situation would become any more malevolent if we put the _Minerva_ into the fleet immediately?"

All eyes in the council chamber turned to the Chairman of the Intelligence Department of the PLANTs, Representative Kenneth Roske. A man of tall stature, his chocolate brown hair was combed to perfection and his face bore the neutral expression of someone who didn't seem to care what was going on in the chamber at this moment. However, what stood out among him, and in fact was drew people to him, were the golden tint to his eyes. Eyes that were unique to him alone. Eyes that had motivated citizens of the PLANTs for over fifteen years. Roske took a breath and said, "It would surprise the Earth Forces...but given the facts our cryptologists and decyphers have been receiving, we don't think that it would cause an immediate concern. If we do it relatively quietly, we more than likely would be able to lessen the emotional shock to the other nations. Otherwise...we really can't ascertain what will happen."

There was a pause. Gilbert said, "Any immediate objections to the launching of the _Minerva_ within a set amount of time?" He glanced around the table. There were some disconcerting glances, but nothing in the way of prime disagreement was said. Gilbert glanced at Yuri and said, "Prepare the _Minerva_ for launching ceremonies within the next two weeks, General Amalfi. Have it done in a location that will be less likely to draw attention to it." His next statement was directed at everyone in the room. "Make sure that the only people who know the full details of this operation are yourselves and your immediate subordinates. Secrecy must be given to this operation at all costs. We cannot afford to have this turn into a blaze that we cannot control when it's over."

"We'll schedule it a week from tomorrow," Yuri replied.

"Good. I think that will be all representatives. Are there any other issues that demand immediate attention?" There weren't any. "Very well. I now declare this joint meeting of the ZAFT Supreme Council dismissed. That is all."

Slowly, the committee members began to make their way out of the chamber. Chairman Dullindal spoke with a few separate individuals for a few moments, including General Wolff and finally Representative Canaver before they took their leave. Gilbert stayed behind, as did Yuri per his request. After a few moments, Yuri came beside Gilbert and said, "You came down on the Representative and the General pretty hard there, Gilbert."

"Yes, I know. But desperate times call for desperate measures." Reaching into his coat, Gilbert removed a small package and popped a cigarette into his mouth. "Do you have a light?"

"Yeah, sure," Yuri answered, extending a lighter towards Gilbert and lighting his cigarette. Yuri lit his own shortly thereafter.

"I thought you quit," Gilbert remarked.

"I tried," Yuri answered. "That's what I get for trying to change something nowadays." Gilbert managed a small chuckle. "Speaking of Henry though, you do realize that there are a lot of people in the PLANTs calling for his head, don't you."

"Yes. But you and I both know that we can't let him go just for being intense. Besides you, he's my ace, so I've got to bear with him for as long as I can." Gilbert chuckled. "Though it is sometimes nice to have someone as intense as Henry on your side."

"It's better than having him on the opposite side, you're right," Yuri responded.

Gilbert relit his cigarette. He leaned up against the table and handed Yuri a piece of paper. "Take a look at this."

Yuri scanned the document and shook his head. "Another request for a meeting with the Orb Princess."

"She's presistent, I'll give her that much," Gilbert admitted. "She's been trying to have a meeting with me for at least four weeks now." He sighed. "All because of the people who used to live in Orb who are now under our employment and residence."

"I thought you explained our position on the matter to her," Yuri put in.

"I tried to, but apparently she doesn't think that's enough. In my opinion, I think it may be in the best interest to meet with her, so sent a message through the Justice Department that I'd meet with her sometime next week and she suggested that we meet at an outside location. Namely, Armory One," Gilbert finished.

Yuri twitched his nose. "That's where the _Minerva_'s launching ceremony is going to take place. You didn't...?"

"It may work to our advantage to have her see that we are not planning for another war, Yuri," Gilbert pointed out. "Both of us were going to be there in the first place, so I agreed to have the Princess come to Armory One and discuss things with us. It may seem reckless on my part, but this may be the chance I've been waiting for to put the issues between our two nations to rest. If this drags on at some point I have a feeling other nations such as the Atlantic Federation may become involved in this and I don't want that to happen."

"That's farfetched at best, Gilbert," Yuri said. "But...if you already agreed to it there's no turning back."

"I know. I've already made the necessary arrangements. We'll be travelling to Armory One in two days. The Princess will arrive with her escorts the day before the official ceremony. I plan to show her that the PLANTs have no intention of starting another conflict." Gilbert stabbed out his cigarette in a nearby ash tray. He wiped his hands together and added, "Hopefully this will lead to a better understanding of one another during this time. We've been at peace for almost two years now and I'm not planning on ending it now."

Gilbert stretched his arms above his head and groaned lightly. "Well it's getting late. May I treat you to a drink, Yuri?"

Yuri followed in the Chairman's wake. "I already spoke with Eileen. She'll be attending the conference as well," Gilbert told him.

Yuri smiled. "Gee, I wonder how you got _her_ to agree to take part?"

Gilbert responded, "Once I mentioned the _Minerva_ she was all for it."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Yuri sighed. "Hopefully together we can fry this fish before it jumps out of the boat."

"Yes," Gilbert answered as they made their way out of the chamber. "So do I."


	2. Phase 01 Angry Eyes

**PHASE-01Angry Eyes**

_Cosmic Era 72. The war between the Earth and the PLANTs that lasted one and a half years finally came to an end following the Second Battle of Jachin Due. The two sides drew up a peace treaty amid the ruins of Junius Seven, a place of unprecedented tragedy. The treaty outlined the intentions of both sides to gain a greater understanding of the other, and promised every effort to maintain peace. As such, the world was on a path back to stability..._

_**L4 PLANT Armory One, October 2, C.E. 73, 0900.**_

Telkan Polmon sat cross legged inside the main control center for Armory One, the sole PLANT located in the L4 Colony Group, calmly sipping his morning coffee. His eyes, rather sleepy considering his late evening rendezvous with his girlfriend the night before, scanned the computer screen in front of him. Watching every green word go by was quite the bore as Telkan had discovered in his time working at Armory One, so during the passage of time when this would be his only task, he would absent-mindedly listen in on his fellow workers at their stations around him in the control center.

Each individual was different from Telkan. They all were ZAFT soldiers, while he was a civilian worker who had come to find a job in the main control center through a mutual friend in the armed forces, dressed in green uniforms usually sported by the lower ranking soldiers within the military. There were men and women, each going about their tasks in a way that seemed more agitated and stressful than they looked. Even the public address system, which in any other place would be used by a gentle, female voice, was being operated by several rough, male voices that barked out orders even more harshly than they typically were. Telkan acknowledged that it was the day of the Chairman's visit to Armory One. _But still,_ he thought,_ they could act a little more laid back_.

He could hear their voices ordering around other soldiers on the ground well below their station at the ZAFT base where the Chairman was to be arriving any moment with his entourage. In fact, from his vantage point inside the center, which, by its position near the exact center of the hour glass shaped structure, could cast its glance upon both the inside and outside of the PLANTs, Telkan could now see a shuttle nearing the entry point into the PLANT. Taking into account the ship's identification code, it was confirmed to be ZAFT shuttle that was only used for urgent diplomatic situations. He glanced at his watch. 0900 on the button. Telkan smiled. It appeared that the Orb Princess was indeed as trustworthy as she said she had been rumored to be. She was right on time. Beside him, one of the soldiers took up a comlink and found the radio frequency the shuttle was using.

"ORL zero one zero. Localize, online," he said.

"This is ORL zero one zero. Confirming nav-com link," came the shuttle's reply.

"Zero one zero. Entry vector looks good. Proceed as is. Number three dock, standby on receiving status B..."

"Telkan, did the shuttle carrying the Chairman arrive yet?"

Telkan glanced at the soldier to his left and then back at his screen. Calmly, he muttered, "Number five dock, five minutes ago..." Apparently he had been so far out of it that he hadn't even noticed that the Chairman had in fact already arrived. "Chairman Dullindal, General Amalfi, and Representative Canaver all aboard, safe and sound."

"Pass on these orders to the ground units. Once the Council members have arrived groundside, they are to be put on separate helicopters and taken to the base's main audience chamber. We'll have a separate one for the Orb Princess ready when she reaches ground," his superior officer commanded, to which Telkan's only reply was a grunt. "Stay awake, Telkan! We haven't got time for you to fall asleep while you're on the job, especially today. Get back to work and keep your eyes glued to the monitor. We don't know when something unexpected will kick us in the ass."

_I'd like to kick you in the ass..._ Telkan chuckled inside his brain at his own thought.

"The rest of you, monitor the Chairman's status as he moves into the base. Keep an eye on all access doors into Armory One and make sure the fleet outside remains on alert." The orders were ended with a crisp, "If we do our jobs right hopefully we'll be able to get past this day without anything blowing up in our faces."

"Yes, sir!" all of the soldiers replied swiftly.

Telkan shook his head and sleepily fixated his eyes onto the computer screen and the little green letters and numbers that scrolled across it every few seconds. Silently, he wondered what the problem with his supervisor and all of the people around him was. What was there to be worried about? So the Chairman was here to talk a little business with the leader of another nation? Big deal. They were at peace now, so there shouldn't be any need to worry. Telkan at least felt that way, but as far as he could see, he was the only one in the control center who was thinking those thoughts.

_**ZAFT Military Base, Armory One, 0915.**_

Blades whirling above it, the helicopter touched down gently on the ZAFT base's central landing pad, just a short walk away from the main command post, located in the middle of the complex. One ZAFT soldier with a rifle over his shoulder walked cautiously towards the helicopter and after receiving a nod from each of his counterparts on either side pressed the release button to allow the access hatch to open. It sighed up slowly and a second later, ZAFT Supreme Council Chairman Gilbert Dullindal stepped out of the hull and onto the concrete below. His long, black hair flailed behind him in the breeze created by the still spinning blades above his head and it also tossled the edges of his long coat as he began to walk in a slow trot towards the enclave of ZAFT soldiers on the opposite side of the landing pad. Each soldier saluted him as he passed and Gilbert acknowledged with a quick raise of his hand.

This was the second helicopter to arrive in as many minutes. The first had carried General Yuri Amalfi, Commander-in-Chief of all ZAFT Defense Forces and Chairman of the National Defense Committee. He stood with an officer in a black uniform to either side of him and he saluted Gilbert as he approached. "Is everything continuing smoothly?" Gilbert asked one of the soldiers near Yuri.

"The Princess' shuttle arrived moments ago, Mr. Chairman. She and her escorts are now descending in the main lift to the base. She'll be arriving in approximately another fifteen minutes," one of the officers replied.

"Representative Canaver will be arriving shortly, Mr. Chairman," the other officer reported in an urgent tone. "Command has ordered us to escort you to the command post immediately."

Gilbert raised a hand in the man's direction and offered a plastic grin. "That's quite all right. I'd rather wait for Representative Canaver myself so we can arrive together. Don't you agree, General?"

"Yes, Mr. Chairman," Yuri responded.

Changing the subject quickly, Gilbert said mildly, "My, my, this place seems to bustling with much activity today. You'd think that the launching ceremony would be taking place today." Around him, Gilbert could hear the distant orders and shouts being given out by the soldiers and personnel who called this base home. Mobile suits were being moved off of landing pads and stationary runways to make room for temporary structures which would help host the ceremony in a few days.

"No, no! The Rondo Team's GINNs are to be equipped with ceremonial attachments...I told you, Hangar Three!"

"That's McKellar's GAZuOOT! Move it at once!"

"Don't forget to add rifles. We won't have time to do it tomorrow."

"I can assure you Mr. Chairman that our forces will be more than ready for the ceremony," an officer stated. "We're taking every precaution-" Nearby, a jeep that was speeding across a landing pad was suddenly forced to swerve wildly in order to miss being stepped on by a GINN that was on its way out of a hangar. Inside the jeep, two individuals cringed and cried out as the jeep narrowly missed the oncoming foot and sped on towards its destination. Gilbert could hear the man behind him hesitate and then stumble as he added, "...of course...mishaps are bound to happen eventually..."

"Mishaps happen, I know that fully well, Lieutenant," Gilbert said. "You forget that for a year I was head of the Jachin Due space station during the war. I'm more attuned to situations such as these than you could ever hope to imagine. All this means is that the _Minerva_ will finally be launching. It's all for the good of that ship, those who serve on her, and everyone in the PLANTs for that matter." The officer didn't know how to respond to Gilbert's remark, but he didn't really need to for a few moments later the third helicopter touched down on the landing pad. Eileen was helped out of the craft by one of the soldiers on the ground and she walked slowly towards the gathering, the turning blades tossing her long red hair and the hem of her skirt behind her. She saluted the officers, Gilbert, and Yuri and joined them as they were escorted by armed guards towards the command post.

As he walked, one of Gilbert's aides came beside him and whispered something in his ear. Gilbert frowned. "I understand their position on this, but Blue Cosmos is a principle, rather than a true organization, right?" Out of the corner of his eye, Gilbert saw a streak of blond hair beyond the line of soldiers escorting them. He recognized the young man that sported the locks. He was staring right at him as he saluted his commander. Gilbert smiled back at him and then turned back to his aide. "We can work on stricter enforcement of the treaty but it won't eliminate terrorists."

"But I'm sure you've heard of General Bradford's-"

"I have _no_ intention of following in General Bradford's wake," Gilbert interrupted, his voice uncharacteristically harsh. He sighed. "What he and his nation do is their own business at this point. Right now, we must concentrate on our own position in this situation. And it will start with the Orb Princess. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!" his aide responded nervously.

"Lead on, then," Gilbert ordered. He nodded to the duo of soldiers guarding the main entrance to the building and stepped inside, the others right behind.

_**0920.**_

Down the central shaft of the PLANT that supported the thousands of resources below sped one of the lifts that took people to and from the docks in the central axis. This one was built to accommodate as many as fifty people at once without trouble and could reach downward speeds of up to thirty-five miles per hour. However, today there were only five people in the lift. One was sitting cross-legged on the sofa while the others were standing around her, keeping their eyes open for anything that would demand their attention.

The man to her immediate right was dressed in civilian clothes rather than the stiff, double breasted suits that the other three men sported, and he had dark sunglasses covering his green eyes. He ran a hand through his long blue hair and sighed. He glanced down at her and said quietly, "Representative..." Cagalli Yula Athha turned her head slightly to the right and upwards to take him into her line of sight. He continued, "...are you sure that attire will do?" Cagalli tilted her head to the side and glanced curiously at him. "You did bring at least one dress, didn't you?"

Her mouth opened just slightly and she hesitated. "Wh-why should it matter what I wear? This'll do, won't it?" He had been referring to her scarlet red suit that was worn by members of the Orb Ruling Council during their cabinet meetings along with the white blouse underneath.

He bit his lower lip and leaned in close to her. He struck a glance at the trio of aides on the other side of the lift and, after confirming that they would not be of any disturbance, added, "It's important to do a little acting at times." He paused. "You understand, don't you? There's no need to try to be something you're not. But at the same time, you don't want to be taken too lightly." Cagalli tried to avert her eyes. He could see them roll inside their sockets. He sighed. "Although this is an unofficial visit, you are still the current leader of Orb. You have to remember that."

"I know," Cagalli answered. "It's not as if I didn't come prepared for this visit."

Her bodyguard stood up once two of Cagalli's aides came to speak with her. They spoke about something that seemed to relate to the imminent launching of the new ZAFT warship in just a few days from Armory One. Cagalli seemed irritated that there would be displeasure emanating from some within ZAFT that she would be visiting at a time like this when Chairman Dullindal had in fact been the one to suggest this location. "The upcoming ceremony marks the first launch of a new ship since the war ended. They're well aware of what we're here to talk about so it baffles me as to why they'd have the ceremony now, and at this location." She had had her misgivings about coming to such a secluded location at first, mainly because of the fact that she wanted to speak about the Orb citizens that had migrated to the PLANTs during the war and this location would be far away from them, which possibly would lessen the effect of her arguments, but others around her had convinced her that it would be good for the country if she went now and witnessed personally what the PLANTs were up to.

"But we're the ones who requested to see them on short notice, Representative Athha," her bodyguard interrupted. "I believe Chairman Dullindal suggested meeting here rather than the PLANT homeland so we could keep a low profile."

"I understand that, Alex," Cagalli responded. "But still...it does seem a bit strange..."

Her voice trailed off as the darkness of the central shaft suddenly gave way to the bright, early morning light of the PLANT's interior. Far below them, they could see large seas of water meshed against the bright green landscape of the continent. In the middle of the continent were gray buildings, streets, and cars, providing a technological aspect to the otherwise natural looking landscape. Thousands of people were filing down those very streets below them, going about their normal days without knowing the importance of the meeting that was about to take place within their midst. For many of the people who called this place home, the talks didn't even exist. It was just an ordinary day in their lives, a day like any other since the war ended.

From his vantage point, Alex contemplated on whether or not he should have come here. Looking out at the beautiful scene now spreading all around them was now making his stomach turn. It was on these very continents that he had been brought into the world. It was here he'd spent his adolescence and where he had grown up. It was in a place like this he had once become a soldier, fighting for a cause that he thought was just. It was on the PLANTs that many of his childhood friends were now buried, casualties of the conflict he had gladly taken part in at first, but had grown to resent as time wore on. This was the first time he'd returned to the PLANTs since the war ended two years ago. Only now, he wasn't who he had once been. He was someone else entirely...so it appeared and so he hoped it would stay for the remainder of his time here.

Staring down at the continent, he wondered whether or not he should have come. Many bad memories were now coming back into his mind. One of them was his mother, the main reason he'd joined the war in the first place. He was still haunted by the image of the Bloody Valentine, where she, along with many others, had lost their lives for no reason. That scene had both saddened and infuriated him. He still could not understand what the attack was for.

_Why?_ He had asked himself that over and over again, but he hadn't found the answer. During the war, he'd been able to keep the thought out of his mind, but now that the world was at peace, it had begun gnawing at his mind again. Sometimes, it wouldn't stop until he fell asleep, and even then it would creep into his dreams and rip apart the tranquility that sleep was supposed to provide.

_Why?_ Others had offered him explanations. His father, his friends, his comrades, they all had tried to answer it. However, none of those answers had seemed to quell his mind's uneasiness. Because of this, more questions had entered into his mind. _What are we really fighting for? What should we be fighting for? Who should we be fighting against?_ All of these questions swelled inside him and he had yet to find an answer.

"Alex?"

He blinked his eyes behind his sunglasses. "Yes?" he asked Cagalli.

"Do you have the time?" Cagalli asked. She had risen to her feet and now stood beside him.

He cast a quick glance at his watch. "Nine-twenty-five. Right on time."

"Chairman Dullindal and the others should be awaiting your arrival by now, Representative," one of her aides mentioned.

Cagalli nodded. A few seconds later, the lift came to a smooth halt. The doors sighed open and the entourage stepped through the opening. They followed one of the PLANT guides who had been waiting at the bottom to a moving conveyor belt which would take them to the car which would then transport them to the meeting place. As the moving platform glided along its chosen path, Alex cast a glance at the lines of people below them. The building they were passing through now was the disembarking point for civilian shuttles coming into Armory One. There were dozens of people waiting in lines separated by crowd control barriers. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he had a pretty good idea what it was. Just a few days previous, the PLANTs had announced that the first new warship constructed since the war ended would be launched from Armory One. Once they emerged from the building, they probably would be able to see it. Alex silently held a keen interest in seeing the ship himself, mainly because he wanted to get at least some sort of a clue as to what ZAFT's intentions were in launching the ship.

Their ZAFT guide shuttled them all into the parked car and they were off just as the door shut behind Alex. The momentum caused him to almost fall on top of Cagalli on the seat. He shook his head, sending his blue hair flailing all over the place. "I apologize...Representative."

"Uh...no problem..." Cagalli managed. "Could you tell the driver to take it easy? We're not in _that_ big of a hurry. I'm sure Chairman Dullindal will understand if we're a little late."

If the driver slowed down, it was by just a few miles per hour. Within five minutes they had arrived at the base's command post. They climbed out of the car and made their way silently inside. At every door or security interchange there were armed guards, each with high powered rifles at their disposal. Alex noted that ZAFT indeed was taking this meeting very seriously. He didn't blame them. Except for Council meetings, it wasn't very often that the Council Chairman, the Chairman of the National Defense Committee, and a former Council Chairman, not to mention the leader of another nation, were all in the same place at the same time. The final set of doors was opened by a ZAFT soldier with a security card and Cagalli took the lead as they stepped inside.

Gilbert was standing in the middle of the formation of PLANT personnel, with Eileen and Yuri to either side of him, plus several other high ranking ZAFT people scattered about. As soon as Cagalli entered, Gilbert's mood seemed to lighten considerably. "Princess!" he exclaimed as much as his deep voice would allow him, "I appreciate you traveling such a long distance to meet here. It is so good to see you."

Cagalli walked slowly forward until she was face to face with the Chairman. "Actually, I'm quite grateful that you made time to fit us into your busy schedule, Chairman."

Behind them, Alex entered with the three aides. He froze once inside the room. His stomach tightened and his lips narrowed into a thin line. Ahead, Yuri snapped his head up slightly higher than it had been and his eyes recognizably widened. Alex sighed inside. He had known that Yuri was going to be at this conference and yet he had decided to come along anyway, even with the full knowledge that someone he had known before and during the war would be present. He cast a glance at Eileen. She hadn't moved once and her facial expression hadn't changed. Gilbert was introducing them now. "I believe you know Representative Eileen Canaver, my predecessor as Chairman."

Eileen stepped forward and inclined her head in a slight bow. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Representative Athha."

"The honor is mine, Representative," Cagalli responded. Alex breathed a sigh of relief. Eileen had probably recognized him through his disguise, if you could call it that, but thankfully her skills as a politician had taken hold and she had refrained from doing or saying anything obvious.

"And allow me to introduce you to the third person of interest, General Yuri Amalfi of the National Defense Committee." Yuri was still staring blankly at Alex when Gilbert introduced him, but he shrugged it off and stepped forward to meet Cagalli. As that happened, Gilbert focused his attention on Alex, who had been standing still for quite a while now. Alex bowed his head in recognition of the Chairman, who smiled in return.

Gilbert extended an inviting hand towards an array of seats near a plate glass window overlooking the base. Cagalli followed him with Yuri and Eileen right behind. "Well then, how are things in your nation?" he asked politely. "I trust everything is well."

"For the time being, yes," Cagalli answered.

"I understand that many problems have been resolved since you took over, Princess," Gilbert said. "For someone at your age, that's simply remarkable. I can speak for all of us that as allies, not only are we very happy to see things going well, but I must say that I personally am quite envious of your achievements." All four sat down with Gilbert, Yuri, and Eileen to one side and Cagalli to the other. "Would you care for something to drink, Princess?"

"No, thank you. But regarding your words, there still is a lot that needs to be done. Orb still has a lot of work to do, as does the rest of the world more or less."

"Speaking of which, under the circumstances what could be so urgent that you'd request a meeting so urgently?" Gilbert asked. "If things still need to be done..."

Cagalli paused. The Chairman knew full well what her reasons were for coming here. He was just playing political games in order to butter her up to his advantage later on. "My reasons have to deal with the Orb citizens who came to your nation during the war," she said evenly.

"Oh?"

"There have been several instances where we as a nation have requested that the people and resources that were allocated to the PLANTs during the war not be used for military purposes. And we have yet to receive a clear response from your nation regarding this. You've said yourself that this is a complex issue. Well, I don't necessarily see what's so complicated about it."

Gilbert smiled. "The reason why I don't believe, or we don't believe it is a complex subject, is for the mere reason that we don't believe that people should be torn away from things that they've been doing for their whole lives."

"I don't understand."

Eileen said, "Of your people that came to us after the attack on Orb, many of them were already involved in professions that dealt with the military in one way or another. We didn't plan for it to be that way; it was just a matter of coincidence."

"Think of it this way," Gilbert added. "If someone was a specialist in designing toys for children, and they found themselves in a situation such as this, would you suddenly force them to work in a food processing plant? It would not make sense for us to shift someone to a different field far from their own expertise."

"That isn't the point I'm trying to make." Alex gulped. Cagalli was being rather frank about this subject, a touchy one at that. "We understand your intention to give the people the best livelihood you can, but they still are technically Orb citizens. Our nation has requested that they not be assigned to corporations that are open supporters of the military, not that they be transferred to different fields. And yet we still have not received a response to our request. Why is that?"

Gilbert's smile didn't fade. He seemed to be enjoying this. "The position you are taking on this matter, Princess," he began, "...is that your own intuition...or perhaps it is a result of pressure from the Atlantic Federation?" Cagalli's eyes widened slightly. Behind her, Alex frowned. "I understand that the Atlantic Federation has been heavily involved in this matter as well, citing their own assurances on the matter."

Cagalli hesitated. Eileen spoke, "The PLANTs have been on the receiving end of political pressure from the Atlantic Federation as well, Representative. We aren't unfamiliar with the subject of other nation's views on this matter."

"So much so, it would almost seem as if the Atlantic Federation were bringing themselves into this..." Cagalli didn't know how to respond now. Gilbert simply shook his head instead. "I'm getting ahead of myself...my apologies, Princess."

"Oh...no, that's okay," Cagalli managed.

"I understand your concern over this matter...as do all of my counterparts...and all that we wish is for this difference in opinions to be resolved without further incident. Don't you agree?"

"Yes. But that brings up the other reason for my visit?"

Gilbert cocked his head to the side just enough to make it noticeable. "Other reason?"

"It has come to my attention, and those of other nations that you're prepared to hold the launching ceremony for your new warship in just a matter of days," Cagalli said.

"Yes, we are," Gilbert answered. "Though General Amalfi would probably know more about that than I would." Yuri glanced at him. "Although I'm the Chairman, the General deals with most of the military matters on an everyday basis. That's what the Chairmen of the other departments, including Intelligence and Home Affairs, do as well. Perhaps you'd like to give her a little insight." Yuri paused. He glanced at Cagalli. Then at Alex. Finally, he brought his stare back towards Gilbert. "I know it's supposedly a private affair, but the news has already spread, General. I'm sure the Princess would love to hear what you have to say."

Yuri sighed. "The Chairman's words are correct, Representative Athha." He folded his hands in his lap and leaned forward. "The _Minerva_ will be the first ship launched since the peace treaty was signed. It's been in the works for over a year now and we are launching her in two days. She will enter the fleet at that time as one of our principal ships."

"You're entering her in the fleet? So soon?"

Gilbert raised his eyebrows. "Is there a problem, Princess?"

"No. It's just that some of the other nations might take that as a little...aggressive."

"We don't have any intentions of having to send her into battle," Yuri continued. "We just want to keep our fleet prepared in case something _does _happen and we have to put that ship into a position to help the good of the PLANTs. Otherwise, we will be putting our citizens in… unnecessary danger."

"Is that the same reason you're building new mobile suits, as well?" Cagalli asked deliberately.

Yuri narrowed his eyes. "Yes, you're correct. For the sole purpose of being prepared. Prepared in case something does happen. And if something happens our soldiers will be ready to protect the PLANTs as they did during the war. Even those that aren't part of the military anymore..." Yuri's gaze had slowly trekked toward Alex, who eyed the General suspiciously. It was as if they knew each other...personally.

There was a long pause. "I think you've explained all that there is to be explained, General," Gilbert said finally. He stood up gingerly. He gestured for Cagalli to follow suit. "Princess...I am deeply moved by your desire to resolve these matters in person. So much in fact, that I think it would be for the benefit of both our nations if you saw for yourself what we are planning for the next few days. Don't you agree, General? Representative?"

"You mean a tour of the base?" Yuri asked.

"Exactly. I can almost guarantee that our soldiers will be more than welcome to see a new face, Princess," Gilbert continued.

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

Gilbert smiled. "Call it a gesture of good faith, Princess." Cagalli stood up to follow Gilbert who led them out of the room. Eileen followed with several aides followed by the armed guards. Yuri and Alex stayed behind momentarily. They stared at each other's faces for a long time. Yuri nodded. He spun on his heel and headed for the door. After he had gone, Alex breathed a shallow sigh of relief. Or maybe it was of anguish.

_**ZAFT Warship Minerva, 0930.**_

The Armory One military base sported a central dock large enough to fit warships of the _Minerva_, but that was the only one that could. The others were designed for smaller ships, such as cargo carriers, but this one had been specifically designed, and recently modified in the past few days, to fit large warships, specifically the _Minerva_ herself. Ground crews labored along the twin steel walkways that flanked the red, white, and gray ship, whose wings were folded into her sides in order to allow her to fit into the dock. Two of her launch hatches were opened to allow crews to load cargo and ammunition into the holds. The third and largest was opened in order to allow a crane access to her hangar. At that moment, it was gently pushing a humanoid shaped machine towards the open hole in the ship. It was a GuAIZ R model, the last of four that were being added to the ship's now complete roster of machines.

On the hangar deck, the ship's chief mechanic, Madd Aves, stood with a clipboard as he watched the last mobile suit being pushed into his workplace. He cast a glance over at the other three that had arrived that morning, then at the newer ZAKU model already positioned along the starboard bulkhead. Finally, he glanced at the Core Splendor fighter jet and smiled. These were his babies. He would make sure that he and his fellow hangar crew members took good care of them...while they were in the hangar at least. When they were out on the battlefield, there wasn't anything he could do.

He shouted at one of his subordinates, "Zangley! Tell Vino to test the ion pumps on the GuAIZ's after Haru and his boys are done."

"Roger!"

"Chief Aves, we've finished the repairs to Commander Bourdais' ZAKU. Should we call ground and have them bring Lunamaria and Rey's up here?"

"Wait until they get to their machines, then _they_ can bring 'em on board and _then_ we can work on 'em," Aves answered. "They had to be refitted with new guns before they would be accepted into the air corp."

"Great opportunity to analyze the new weapon designs then," Vino Dupre called from behind him.

Aves turned his body to glance at the young man and added, "Don't get too excited, Vino. There's not much difference between the new one and the old ones. By the way, before you leave, get Captain Gladys on the phone for me."

"Right!"

Deeper inside the ship, in a corridor just behind the bridge, Ensign Ian Dullindal made a final, smooth push with his fingers through his neatly combed black hair. Freshly showered and dressed in his olive green uniform, Ian pulled his small, circular glasses off of his nose and rubbed them with a small handkerchief. He blew across the lenses' shiny surfaces and wiped them again. He slid them onto his nose and smiled. Perfect. As a member of the bridge crew of the newest warship in the ZAFT fleet, he had to look his best, even if it was two days before the ceremony was to start.

Another member of the bridge crew passed as he neared the doors. "Morning, Ian," said Crewman Meyrin Hawke, the youngest of the bridge crew, her red pig-tails bouncing behind her head as she walked.

"Morning, Meyrin," he responded with a salute. Since they had spent a good three months on this ship while they ran battle simulations, they had grown to know everyone on board this ship. Enough so that they could refer to one another by their first names whenever they weren't in the presence of the officers. Plus, Ian much preferred people to call him by his first name, rather than his last.

The steel bridge doors slid open to allow him access to his workplace. The ship's three main officers were standing near the head of the upper part of the bridge. The two men were dressed in black uniforms while the sole woman was dressed in white. "Good morning, Captain," he announced as he entered.

His entrance was met with a stare and a salute from each of the officers, Captain Talia Gladys, Lieutenant Arthur Trine, and Lieutenant Roland Brunswick. "Good morning, Ensign," they each responded. Ian heard them pick up their conversation as he made his way towards the step ladder which would take him to his station in the lower part of the bridge. "Like I said," Arthur began in his thick-accented voice, "unless the Princess does a complete reversal of what she's known to have stood for, I don't think these talks will get us anywhere in regards to relations with the Orb Union."

"We don't know that for sure, Arthur," Talia responded. "Representative Athha is as charismatic a leader as anyone we have in this world, including Chairman Dullindal."

"You think she'll ask about us?" Roland put in as he ran a hand across his brown goatee that was just long enough to be noticeable. "The _Minerva _that is. That and what we're gonna end up doing out there?"

"More than likely. Though I think the Chairman will do enough to convince her," Talia said.

"I hate to interrupt Lieutenant Brunswick, but did Chief Aves repair the sensor on the number two Tristan like I requested," Ian interrupted.

"Yeah, he did. It's all set there, waiting for you."

"Thanks."

"By the way, Ian," Roland said, causing Ian to stop midway through his descent, "what do you think? What's your dad going to do about this issue?"

Ian paused. In a few seconds, his entire demeanor seemed to change. His voice was dark and gloomy when he answered, "Why would I know that?"

"Huh?"

"I have no reason to talk to my father," Ian responded casually. "So I wouldn't know what he's going to do, now would I?" He glanced at his superiors for a few more moments before disappearing into the darkness of the lower bridge.

Roland spread his lips. "Sheesh, what's up with him?"

"He's like that every time someone brings his father up," Talia reminded him. "Haven't you noticed that?"

"Yeah, but for someone like him, who's usually one of the most uplifting people on the ship...it makes you wonder if he's got something against his father for some reason?" Roland said.

"Sounds awfully familiar when you think about it," Talia said, a small smile appearing on her face.

Roland sighed angrily. "That doesn't count. That was vice-versa; my dad had a grudge against _me_."

"Because you wrecked his car when you and I went joyriding," Arthur added.

"Because you were hanging out the window with your tongue hanging out like a dog, you moron!" Roland laughed.

"Oh, don't blame me for that. It's old news, Roland."

Talia couldn't contain her laugh and she giggled slightly. "Am I glad I wasn't with you two, that night."

"Nice," Roland responded. "Though there was that one time..."

Talia breathed a sigh of relief when the phone beside her Captain's seat rung. Taking leave of her comrades, and friends for that matter, she picked up the receiver and said, "Captain Gladys, here."

"Captain, this is Aves. The four GuAIZ have been loaded and the pilot's are waiting in the lounge. Where's Commander Bourdais?"

Talia turned towards Arthur and Roland and said, "Commander Bourdais' still in town with the others, right?" Both nodded. "He's in town. I'll have someone call him back to the ship immediately so he can greet them."

"Better tell him to hurry, they're getting anxious," Aves finished.

"Thank you, Chief." Talia hung up the phone. She glanced at the clock on the monitor nearby. "I don't know about you boys, but I'm hungry. If you need me, I'll be in the cafeteria."

"Yes, ma'am," they answered with a salute. As she left, Talia smiled. It wasn't often that the three of them could reminisce about the past anymore and act like themselves. When they could, she always left feeling better than she had been before. She only hoped they would be able to do this in the future, even if they were in charge of this ship for quite some time.

**-_0935._**

"Will that be all, sir?"

"Beef, ham, turkey, salami, pepperoni…yeah, that's it." Felix Roske stood with his arms folded, leaning over the glass counter that separated him from the columns of meat laid out on the display beneath him. Behind the counter, the butcher weighed each block of meat then used a sliding board and saw to cut out even slices of meat. Normally the _Minerva's_pilot, not to mention the son of a Supreme Council Representative, Felix found that he was most comfortable when he was out of the spotlight, such as he was now when he was off duty, shopping for the rest of the crew who would be awaiting his and the others return with the needed supplies. Granted ZAFT did supply them with rations of food and water, but it was always nice to have a little something extra, which was why Felix was at this local butcher shop in town.

The butcher wrapped each individual grouping of meat and placed it on a scale, setting the weight and then placing each wrap into a bag. He rang up the cash register and said, "You're total comes to…$53.46."

Felix, who was already reaching across the counter for the bag, halted. "What?" he exclaimed. "Dammit, you raised the price again!"

Confused, the butcher said, "It was only by fifty cents, sir. It's not my fault if the Agricultural Board decides to raise the price," he pointed out.

"Yeah, well this is the third time this month they've raised the prices, and it's getting on my nerves. It makes you think that those guys are just trying to screw the citizens."

"I'm shocked this would be coming from you, sir."

"Don't separate me just because I'm the Intelligence Director's kid. When I'm here, I'm a regular person. The name doesn't apply," Felix countered.

The door to the small shop opened with a bell chime. There was a click of shoes on the floor and the soft clank of the door closing. "Felix, you're not arguing with the butcher _again_, are you?" Felix turned towards the door and sighed. Standing in the doorway, one hand on her hip, the other holding the strap of her bag close to her shoulder, Victoria Dullindal puckered her lips in an irritated manor and added, "You're supposed to be representing the crew. Must you act so immature?"

Felix dropped his arms in defeat. "I apologize, sir," he mumbled.

Victoria approached the counter, reaching into the pocket of her black dress coat that matched the skirted suit she wore. She produced a card and said, "Charge it to this." The butcher did so and returned the card to her. "Have you cooled down?" she asked Felix.

"Yeah, yeah," he answered, running his fingers through his black hair before shoving them into the pockets of his khaki pants. "I get it."

They made their way to the door and exited onto the sidewalk outside the store. "Did you get everything you needed?" Felix asked.

She patted her bag. "Yes, I did. This'll hopefully keep the crew healthy for a few months." She took the lead and added, "Let's go find Shinn and Yolant."

About a block away, there was a crowd gathered around a clothing store with a window display featuring several new dress fashions. "Can you imagine who can afford to buy those?" one bystander commented.

"Only movie stars, something we'll never be," said another.

After a few moments, the crowd began to whither, leaving the window exposed to the street and entire sidewalk. It was then that a trio walked into view of the window, at a pace that would not have attracted any attention whatsoever. They couldn't be more than 20, probably even less. Two boys and a girl. The one in the lead had short green hair and shaggy eyebrows. The second, long blue hair and a cocky grin plastered on his face. The girl, who was following the other two, was appearing to be shy, with a finger paused against her lip, her blonde hair being blown around by the calm breezes, seemed to be in a world of her own, not noticing anything else around her.

That changed when she reached the front of the window. Her eyes, a reflection of purple, were drawn to the glass by the multi-colored dresses behind it. Her mouth opened slightly and she placed her hands at even spaces on the glass. She couldn't stop staring.

Up ahead, the boys didn't stop walking. The one with blue hair turned back to glance at their companion. "What is she doing?" he wondered out loud.

"Being a ditzy airhead, that'd be my guess," said the other. "Why don't you try? You look like you would enjoy it." The blue-haired man shrugged and followed the leader.

The girl removed her hands from the glass and raised them as she looked down at herself, more specifically the neutral blue dress. She stared at it and then at the ones in the window. Suddenly, she started dancing, as if some beautiful waltz had just started playing. She spun around and around, twirling like a ballerina, her arms stretched high into the air, then in a round, circular motion around her. She smiled and laughed. She seemed to be having a joyful time, such a far cry from the glum she had had in her eyes just moments before. She danced for what seemed like an eternity.

That is, until something got in her way and stopped her.

She stumbled backwards after striking the boy who had come rushing around the corner next to the store. He dropped his bags and reached forward to catch her and stop her fall. He grasped her around the chest and held her. "Are you okay?" she heard him ask.

Turning her head, she was met by a pair of fiery red eyes. He had black hair, or maybe it was a dark blue, and a perplexed look on his face.

He glanced down at her and his cheeks immediately flushed red, realizing where his hands were. The girl glared angrily and him and barred her teeth. She wrestled herself free from his grasp and sprinted away down the street. She left him staring after her, his red eyes following her figure until she disappeared into the morning haze.

"You grabbed her rack, didn't you?" Shinn Asuka froze. He brought his hands up to his eyes, palms facing him and then snapped his head towards the grinning face of his friend, Yolant Kent. "You lucky pervert," Yolant mocked. He quickly turned behind Shinn and walked off.

"Wait-!"

"I always knew you had it in you, Shinn." That was Felix's voice. He and Victoria had appeared beside him. They had seen the incident too. Felix passed with a smile on his face. Victoria followed and made a small laugh as she passed the startled Shinn.

"I-I didn't!" Shinn cried after them. He groaned heavily and scooped up the bags he had dropped. "Hey, wait up!" he called as he sprinted after his comrades.

Down the road, at a small convenient store, another individual exited through the front door with a small package. He tore the box open and produced a cigarette, stuffing it into his mouth before lighting it. He took several puffs before blowing the smoke out of his mouth in one grand exodus. Tall and slender, the man had short brown hair with huge sideburns that stretched just below his ears. His eyes were almost pearl black, a kind of vortex that one could lose one's self in if they stared too long.

His phone rang and it startled him. "Bourdais, here," he said roughly, the cigarette still between his lips.

"The new pilots are in, Commander. Just thought I'd let you know."

"Thanks…I'll be right there. Whoa!" Just then, the blond haired girl rushed past in at nearly a dead run. Brad kept himself upright and watched her run towards the street corner. He gasped as a car sped around the corner and nearly ran the girl down. What surprised him even more was that the individuals inside the car were madly gesturing for her to get inside. She did so and after a few moments, the car sped away behind the buildings on the opposite side of the street. Brad was still confused by what he had just seen. Not really because of the girl, though she had piqued his interest, but by the person driving the car. He'd been wearing a ZAFT uniform.

"Commander, are you there?"

Remembering his phone, he answered, "Yeah, I'm coming. Wait about fifteen minutes okay." He took one last glance behind him at the spot where the girl and the car had disappeared. He thought, _What the hell was that…?_ as he began to make his way back into town.

_**-ZAFT Military Base Armory One, 0945.**_

Cagalli appeared, at least in her mind, to be the new celebrity phenom on Armory One. As Gilbert led her on a tour of the base, everyone stopped when they came within eyesight of her. And everyone stared at her with uninterrupted gazes as she strolled past. Some seemed to be analyzing her, scanning her every detail like a computer. Others it seemed just wanted to get a glance at her and then move on. Cagalli couldn't blame the latter. This was a ZAFT base after all.

Gilbert, in the lead of the tour, had taken them through a hangar which held three of ZAFT's new mass production mobile suits, the ZAKU Warrior. She had been fascinated by them; both in their mystique and their presence. This was another issue she had to confirm while she was on her visit here. Dullindal had already dodged her first with excellent political maneuvering and now she was at a stand still on her arguments. But this was something she believed she could get a clear response from him on.

"The new ZAKU's entered the military structure just a few months ago, Princess," Gilbert explained. "Along with the _Minerva_ these will be the newest additions to our nation's fleet."

"Fascinating…" Cagalli answered briefly. She glanced back at Alex who was walking behind her. He hadn't said a word since they had left the command post, but that was probably something he'd decided to do out of respect for Cagalli's position as the leader of Orb and let her do the talking for him. She also knew that he was just as concerned about this matter as she was.

Gilbert glanced sideways at Cagalli without breaking stride. "Princess, as a courageous person who has experience piloting a mobile suit in real battle, I would have thought that you'd be more interested in this subject."

"It isn't that I'm not interested. It's just that I'm…concerned…"

"May I ask about what?" Gilbert asked.

Cagalli paused. She thought about her next words carefully and critically. "All this power…" She was referring to the equipment and military strength all around them. "Is it really necessary?"

Gilbert smiled. "I too have something to ask you, Princess. How should we as a nation act given the current state of the world?" Cagalli stopped and glanced at him quizzically. Behind Gilbert, Yuri and Eileen glanced at each other, as if to say, _here we go_, then back at Gilbert. "I'm sure you know the answer to that very well."

Letting out a sigh, Cagalli answered quickly, "We will protect and maintain the ideals of our nation. It's as simple as that. It goes for every nation in the world nowadays."

"'We will not invade another nation, will not allow another nation to invade us, and will not intervene in the conflicts of other nations.' Words attributed to your father, Uzumi Nara Athha, I believe," Gilbert repeated.

"That's right."

"We believe the same as well. If that were possible, it would be best." Gilbert raised him arm toward a nearby ZAKU. "However, to answer your question, without power, those ideals just aren't possible. And that would explain your earlier inquisition into the _Minerva_ and our new mobile suits. These will ensure that we are fully capable of keeping ourselves safe and secure in this world. Without them, we would not be able to find ourselves in the situation we now do." Cagalli saw Alex eye Gilbert with a suspicious glance. "Of course, we, myself, General Amalfi, and Representative Canaver that is, know fully that you would understand this fact better than any of us could. That's why Orb also maintains full military facilities, correct?"

Cagalli hesitated, then blurted out, "Will you please stop calling me, 'Princess'."

Behind them, Yuri glanced at Eileen. "What do you think?" he whispered quietly enough so that the others wouldn't hear.

"Is it really necessary for him to put the Representative through the fire like this?" Eileen wondered out loud. "We could have discussed this well enough back in the command post.

"That's how he wanted it, I think," Yuri responded. "He probably thought that it would benefit us more if he brought her all the way out here." _And from what I've seen, he was right._

Gilbert was now bowing to Cagalli with his hand on his chest. "Please excuse me, Representative Athha. Correct me again if I do mispronounce your title." They began to walk again. "But I have to wonder...based on what you've said so far during our conversation…what are you so afraid of? Pressure from the Atlantic Federation? No! We've already discussed that. My apologies. It must be something else. I wonder what it could be."

Across the tarmac, just behind the farthest of the hangar buildings, the jeep carrying the blond haired girl and the two other gentlemen pulled up quietly so that no one would notice. The green haired man, obviously the leader of the trio, leaped out of the back seat of the jeep and landed on the ground in a crouch. He reached quickly into the pocket of his jacket for a silver case and retrieved himself a cigarette. As he lit it, his counterpart helped the girl out of the jeep. "You doing okay, Stella?" Auel Neider asked.

"I'm fine," Stella Loussier answered firmly. "Don't worry about me."

"Fine, I won't," Auel responded.

"Be quiet, you two, we're supposed to be acting inconspicuous," came the reprieve from the green haired man, named Sting Oakley. "Auel, get the gear."

Turning around, Auel extended his hands for the duffel bag that was given to him by the soldier in the passenger seat of the jeep. "Is everything here?"

"Everything that was on the list," came the reply. "If you need anything else, you're on your own."

Sting blew a cloud of smoke out of his mouth and reached into the bag, pulling out a sub-machine gun and eyeing it. "Looks good," he announced. "Do you have the key cards?" The soldier handed them to him as Stella and Auel reached in to retrieve their own weapons, Auel choosing two guns for himself while Stella brandished a pistol and a simple combat knife with a jagged edge. "Get yourselves out of sight for now," Sting ordered. "We'll take care of everything else." The driver nodded and pressed the gas pedal, sending the jeep on its way.

The trio made their way to the access door to the hangar, where Sting slid a card into the appropriate reader and the door rose up in response. Ahead was another door, this one open to the hangar. They could see a partial image of their targets inside. "You ready?" Auel asked.

Sting smiled behind his cigarette. "What do you think?"

Outside, Cagalli stopped once again and said, "But there's a dark side to having all this power as well." Gilbert froze and raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Having too much power will inevitably start conflicts again."

"Is that what this is about, then?" Gilbert asked.

Cagalli paused. She felt someone step beside her. "Do you fear that another war will break out, Representative?" Eileen asked. Alex frowned. He shot a glare back at Yuri who was still trailing the group. Yuri made eye contact, but didn't do anything this time, instead glancing directly back at the conversation currently happening.

Inside the hangar, Sting crept towards the doorway with Stella behind him and Auel directly opposite against the other wall. He nodded to them and pushed himself through the opening. As he entered, he could see about a dozen ZAFT soldiers, mechanics, and pilots strewn about the facility. He charged forward with his gun hand extended. He quickly and expertly fired off some shots, emptying the magazine that was latched to his gun. Three soldiers fell immediately, wounds to their torso and upper bodies.

Before the others had time to reach for their weapons Stella and Auel were on them. Auel jumped up into the air, pirouetting like a ballerina before landing on one leg and spinning a complete three hundred sixty degrees, taking out four more soldiers. Stella landed between two others and shot one before sticking her knife into the others neck, the blade severing the artery and killing him instantly.

The gunfight was over within seconds with virtually all of the ZAFT personnel on the ground, dead or dying. One remaining ZAFT pilot was attempting to crawl up the gantry towards one of the machines. A bullet penetrated his left leg from behind. He cried out in pain and released his hold on the gantry, his body spared from a hard impact on the concrete below by an arm reaching out to grab him. Sting held the pilot for several seconds, a smile on his face, the fire from his still lit cigarette dangerously close to the man's face. The pilot had a fearful expression on his face and his body trembled in Sting's grasp. "Wh-who are you people?" he stuttered.

Sting responded by blowing smoke into the man's eyes. "There's no reason to tell you that…" The pilot didn't even see him extend his arm behind him. "You're as good as dead already!" With unbelievable force and quickness, Sting delivered a swift right hand to the pilot's jaw, sending him flying a good twenty feet the other direction, his body splattering against the wall, blood seeping from the huge gash opened in his jaw from where Sting's blow had connected.

"Was that really necessary?" Sting glanced behind him at Auel, who stood with both guns still in his hands, and a grin on his face.

"Gotta keep myself fresh somehow," Sting answered. He took one last puff from his cigarette and flicked it away. "Stella! Stick to the plan, let's go!"

Each one ran towards a different machine. Each machine was laying face up, its body being held in place by numerous steel support beams and winches. Sting leapt into the cockpit of the first one and watched as Stella and Auel did the same with the other two. He slid his slender body into the pilot's seat and brought the machine's computer online. He checked the number. ZGMF-X24S Chaos. This was it.

Sting ran through the checklist that had been drilled into his head during the past few weeks they'd spent training for this mission. _Ion pump flow stable. Attitude controls functional. Cortex module online. _He gently pulled back on one of the two levers located near his left hand. He relaxed into the seat as he felt his machine slowly rise onto its feet He pressed another button near his left leg and the mobile suit changed colors from all gray to dark green and black. _Phase shift armor operational. _"Report status, guys," he ordered.

"Mine looks good from here," Auel said. "Though I really can't say I'm certain it's good until I take it into action."

"Right model?" Sting asked.

"ZGMF-X31S Abyss. This is it." Beside him, Auel brought the Abyss into a standing position and switched on its phase shift armor, turning his machine a bright blue and white.

"Stella?"

"Just a minute…" Sting sighed. _Why does she have to be such a ditz?_ "ZGMF-X88S Gaia, all set." The final machine got to its feet and transformed into a black, red, and yellow color.

"Let's do it then, I wanna get the hell out of here as quick as possible." Sting pushed several buttons and pulled back on the throttle stick. He heard the machine's engines begin to come online and the cockpit became abuzz with noise and lights. He glanced at his computer and checked all the mobile suit's diagnostics. Everything looked set.

One noise didn't sound right though. Sting shot a curious glance at his view port and saw something moving on the ground. One of the ZAFT crew had survived and was now maneuvering himself over towards one of the computer consoles nearby. The screeching blare of the alarm sounded just then, sending its pulsating scream in all directions. Sting rolled his eyes. _Great. Now here comes the hard part._

The alarm sounded throughout the base. All around, soldiers stopped in their tracks at the sound of it, some going so far as to drop whatever they were carrying at the time. Among them were Lunamaria Hawke and Rey za Burrel, two young pilots who were normally stationed aboard the _Minerva_, but had been forced onto the ground for the ceremony in a few days.

Gilbert, Cagalli, and the others in their group heard the alarm as well. "What's that?" Gilbert demanded.

"What's going on?" Yuri shouted to no one in particular.

Alex was the first to see the explosion obliterate the main doors to the hangar just a few yards in front of them. Moving quickly, he grabbed the shaken Cagalli by the shoulders and threw her to the ground, covering her with his own body. Behind them, the ZAFT soldiers surrounding Gilbert did the same to him and Eileen, while Yuri flattened himself against the back wall of the nearest hangar. Alex glanced up just in time to see the smoke that was covering the spot where the hangar had just been standing clear, revealing a trio of gargantuan figures standing in its place. His eyes widened. "What's happening?" he heard Cagalli ask underneath him.

He helped her to her feet just as the lead mobile suit, the one in green and black, fire his beam rifle into the next hangar, tearing down the door and ripping into the back wall, causing another explosion that took all the mobile suits inside the hangar with it. Another ball of fire coursed towards them, Alex once again protecting Cagalli with his own body.

"Take out the hangars," Sting ordered from inside his cockpit. "They'll be crawling with mobile suits. Take 'em out while they're still on the ground."

"I'll take the left Stella. You get the right," Auel said.

"Right!"

Abyss and Gaia split off in two different directions, each using their high powered guns to take down the hangars ahead of them. Explosions rang out all across the base. Luckily for the group that included Gilbert and Cagalli, the hangar near them was spared from damage for the time being. "Get me a status report!" Gilbert demanded. "Take the Princess to the shelter immediately! General, get to the command center and raise the alarm to those outside! Where's Evans?"

Alex rose to his feet with his arms still wrapped securely around Cagalli. He saw Yuri start to run with two other ZAFT personnel hot on his heels. Gilbert and Eileen were still being held back by the ZAFT soldiers that remained with them. One of them pointed the way to the shelter and gestured for Alex to take Cagalli there. Giving a nod of thanks, Alex began to sprint, Cagalli under his arm, in the direction he'd been indicated to go. "Athru…?" Cagalli stuttered, but another explosion cut her off.

"Come on!" he called.

Sting used his rifle for the most part. He stuck to the ground and patiently made his way from one spot to the next, taking out any structures that lay in his path. Two more hangars went up in flames along his path of destruction. In the meantime, he could see other mobile suits attempting to take off from the ground. He used the weapons stored into his machine's backpack to destroy two GAZuOOTs and then his rifle to take out an airborne DINN that tried to take a pot-shot at him. He smirked to himself. These ZAFT pilots were awfully ambitious. He liked fighting against ambitious opponents. They always seemed to be more willing to walk into his cross hares.

On the other side of the tarmac, Auel leaned back on his left leg and raised his mobile suit's torso into the air. He fired his beam cannon and took out another airborne DINN, severing one of its wings and sending it spiraling down towards the ground. It crashed into one of the hangars and exploded, causing one of the ZAKUs inside to fall onto its side through the newly created hole in the wall and smash into the ground, still mostly intact. Auel smirked. _Lucky bastard_. He moved his machine to face the grounded ZAKU. He centered his targeting bracket onto the mobile suit and squeezed the firing trigger in his right hand.

"Auel!" Sting's voice froze Auel, the trigger button not pressed far enough to activate the Abyss' guns. "Forget it! It's useless anyway." Sighing angrily, Auel sprang up into the air and went on with his business.

Gaia jumped up into the air and suddenly transformed itself. It was now in a mode similar to that of a dog or more precisely a wolf. It looked like a wolf because it was continuing on its violent rampage, taking out another ZAKU on the ground as it was attempting to take off. The smaller mobile suit lost its right leg and crashed down on its side, crushing a fuel truck that was parked underneath it and causing another massive explosion that could be felt all around the base.

Gilbert was led by one of his bodyguards to a relatively safe location on the outskirts of the base. Eileen was right behind him the other way. "General Amalfi's on his way to the command center now, Chairman," his guard reported. He paused as he listened to the wireless radio in his ear. "…It's been confirmed at least sixty percent of the hangar facilities have been rendered unusable."

_Damn,_ Gilbert cursed inside his mind. It wouldn't do well for morale if the Chairman of the PLANTs was seen cursing during this kind of situation. "Where's the Princess?" he demanded.

"Unknown, sir. We lost track of her and her escort when the second explosion happened. We believe they're on their way to the shelter, but we haven't received confirmation yet."

"Is there any way you can _get_ confirmation? On her location and what's happening here?"

"Not at the moment sir. There are gas leaks all over the place and most of our communication lines have been cut. We've already been reduced to emergency power supplies."

"Chairman!" Another bodyguard came running up to them. "You have to move away from this area immediately. The gas leaks are reaching critical levels in sectors two, three, and six. It's only a matter of time before one of them goes up in flames and takes most of the hangars with it."

Gilbert frowned, this time barring his teeth in anger. _How on Earth could this have happened?_ he asked himself.

"Sir, may I suggest you and Representative Canaver board the _Minerva_ as a safety precaution?"

Gilbert glanced at Eileen. "It won't do anyone any favors if we stay out here and get ourselves killed, Chairman," she answered. Gilbert shut his eyes and slowly nodded. "Get as many of the wounded to safety as you can!" Eileen ordered to the soldiers around them. "Use the _Minerva_ as a makeshift hospital if you have to!"

"Get word to General Amalfi that until I can get a handle on this situation, he's in charge of all operations here and on the outside," Gilbert whispered to his bodyguard. He cast one last glance back towards the fires behind him. He could see two of the three mobile suits continuing to engage the units that had rapidly deployed to intercept them. Based on what he could see, it wouldn't be long before they reduced the entire base to ashes. _There's only one thing that can stop them now. _"Message the _Minerva_ to send out her machines as soon as they're ready!" he ordered.

"Yes, sir!"

**_Minerva_,_ 1010._**

"Receiving orders from ground personnel, Captain!" Meyrin reported on the bridge. "We've been ordered to launch our machines and have them intercept the three machines."

"Lieutenant Brunswick, have Ensign Asuka get ready!" Talia commanded. "Bring all weapons online as a precautionary measure, Ensign Dullindal. Arthur!"

"Where's the Chairman?" Arthur shouted to Meyrin.

"Chairman Dullindal and Representative Canaver are on their way here," she confirmed.

"Captain-" Arthur began, but Talia cut him off severely.

"Our objective has been set before us. We will intercept those machines with our own and do what we can ourselves. Roland, find Lunamaria and Rey. Tell them to get back here as soon as they can."

"Already on it, ma'am," Roland's voice sounded through the radio from the lower part of the bridge. "Rey says that the hangar with their machines got taken out, but the mobile suits themselves don't appear to be that badly damaged. They'll get airborne as soon as they can get them out."

"Commander Bourdais has just arrived, Captain!" Ensign Bart Heim called from his position opposite Meyrin. "He says to launch the Impulse as soon as it's ready. He'll be ready himself in just a few minutes."

"Very good, Ensign. Relay this message to Chief Aves. Launch Impulse immediately!"

Back at the base, one of the last hangars standing was hit by a shot from Gaia's cannons. Cagalli and Alex were still on the run, trying desperately to find somewhere safe. "Those…those…" Cagalli gasped as she ran, "…those were GUNDAMs…!"

"I know. Keep running!" Alex answered.

Another explosion rang out in front of them. "Athrun!" Cagalli shouted as he threw her up against a wall to protect her from the debris cloud that enveloped them. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something through the cloud of smoke and soot. It was the ZAKU that had escaped damage from the hangar explosion moments before, lying on the ground in almost pristine form. Narrowing his eyes, he analyzed what was in front of him. The ZAKU would offer at least some sanctuary from the rampaging mobile suits and he knew full well that he would be capable of piloting it. After all, he still was known in private as Athrun Zala, former ZAFT ace and recipient of the Order of the Nebula. It had been almost two years since he'd piloted one of them in actual combat, but some things just were too hard to forget and as much as he'd like to forget his experiences in those years, they had stuck with him throughout the peaceful years that had immediately preceded this. He now was at least somewhat thankful that they hadn't left him. "Come on!" he shouted, grabbing Cagalli by her arm and pulling her towards the mobile suit. He helped Cagalli stand on the bright green steel of the left arm and then pulled himself up. Making his way over to the cockpit opening, he glanced back through the smoke at the scene behind him. He could see both Chaos and Gaia causing mayhem, firing their weapons madly in all directions.

"Get in!" he ordered.

"What?" _Athrun_ bit his lower lip. As much as he hated to do this now, he'd been left with no other alternative. Scooping the startled Cagalli up in his arms, he leapt through the opening and into the cockpit. He settled into the cockpit seat and strapped himself in. "I'm not about to let you die in a place like this," he told Cagalli as he began to start up the machine. _Just tell me, you'll start_, he asked the ZAKU. In what could have been an answer, the mobile suit sighed as its systems came online. The red light that some would have mistaken for its eye, blazed a path of light through the smoke cloud that was now just beginning to disintegrate. Slowly, the ZAKU began to rise to its feet. "Hang on!" he told her as he pressed the throttle and began to move the machine.

Outside, Stella jumped into the air once again and transformed Gaia back into humanoid mode. She wasn't even breathing hard as she quickly glanced in all directions she was afforded from the cockpit. "Stella?" That was Sting's voice. "Everything okay?"

"Fine," Stella answered.

"Get your ass out of that area. My sensors are telling me there's a huge gas leak…"

Stella didn't hear the rest of his orders. Something else appeared that demanded her attention even more. From out of the cloud of smoke in front of her, came the charging figure of a ZAFT mobile suit. Its shoulder extended towards her, the ZAKU slammed into the Gaia, sending the mobile suit flying backwards. Stella cried out in surprise as she struggled to maintain her balance. She did so, ending up approximately fifty meters away from the green ZAKU. Inside his own cockpit, Athrun stared at the Gaia and wondered who the pilot was. He didn't have much time to get his answer though, for at that very instant the flames from one of the explosions caught the vapors from the gas leak and caused a catastrophic explosion that incinerated buildings, mobile suits, and people on the ground. Athrun lunged the ZAKU forward to take away some of the momentum from the explosion and keep himself upright. Stella watched the explosion occur behind the ZAKU and watched in confusion. "Who's that?" she asked herself.

"Damn," Athrun swore. He'd ended up right in front of one of the GUNDAMs. The Gaia launched itself at him, a beam saber withdrawn from its hip socket now grasped firmly in its right hand. Athrun glanced at his weapons board and brought the ZAKU's beam axe out of its shield in order to block the attack. He managed to, barely. "Who are you?" he asked Gaia, as sparks flew in all directions as their weapons intersected one another.

A short distance away, sirens began to ring inside the _Minerva's_ hangar bay. Madd Aves signaled to one of his mechanics to ready the other support parts for the Impulse just as a red clad figure dashed past him. "Make sure you get 'em all, kid!" he shouted. The figure responded with a thumbs up as he raced towards the awaiting Core Splendor fighter jet sitting on the lift ahead. He catapulted himself onto the wing and then into the cockpit. He sealed the hatch and his helmet visor as he heard Meyrin go through the warning commands that dealt with the immediate launch of a mobile suit. "Impulse, standby for takeoff. Pilot, proceed to Core Splendor." _I'm here, don't worry about it_, he thought as he fastened his restraint belts around his slender body.

"Sword Module selected. Opening Silhouette Hangar two." There was a series of doors that secured the Impulse's weapons packs on the opposite side of the hangar. One of these doors opened to reveal the Sword Silhouette Pack, which was loaded, by a series of highly technological gangways and magnetic fields onto the catapult lift below the Core Splendor. "Silhouette Flyer, standby for takeoff. Platform setup complete. Central catapult, online."

As the lift rose towards the catapult, the pilot could see small objects up above him begin to swing themselves upwards. "Opening airtight shutters. Emergency crew, standby for takeoff plan. Raise central catapult to launch position!" With startling quickness, he activated the Core Splendor's computerized systems and watched as the words, _Generation Unrestricted Network Drive Assault Module_, appeared on his monitor in front of him. This meant that the Core Splendor's systems had been brought online successfully. He saw the console light up in front of him and he held the control stick tightly in his hands. "Core Splendor, all systems online. Commencing takeoff sequence." The lift stopped abruptly and he looked out through the clear transparency of the cockpit hatch. The main hatch of the _Minerva _was just now opening to reveal the blue sky beyond. He could also see black smoke rising up into the sky. He narrowed his eyes. _There's going to be a battle,_ he told himself. _This won't end well, will it?_ "Hatch opened. Linear launch system engaged. Catapult power levels normal. Course clear."

"He's set," Roland told Talia.

"Launch Core Splendor!" she commanded.

"Core Splendor, please take off," Meyrin radioed. Glancing up, the pilot watched as the status board near the front of the hatch gradually changed from red to light blue, giving him the okay to launch. He pressed the throttle gear forward and felt the engines hum in response. The Core Splendor surged forward with a shove from the catapult and soared into the sky at the end of the hatch. Behind him, the remaining parts were subsequently lifted up to the central catapult. "Catapult engaged. Please deploy Silhouette Flyer." Utilizing its own engines, the weapons pack launched itself after the Core Splendor. "Next, please deploy Chest Flyer. Please deploy Leg Flyer." The final two parts were launched successfully. Banking away from the _Minerva_, the Core Splendor raced across the sky towards the base just a short distance in front of him.

Sting bounded up and down on the Chaos' legs and slashed through the cockpit of another ZAKU, reducing the mobile suit to a ball of fire and debris in a matter of seconds. His sensor pinged at him. "Huh?" He snapped his head towards the area where the sensors indicated and saw something he didn't expect. Stella was actually _engaged_ in a fight with one of the ZAKUs. _Shit, one must have gotten online._ "Stella!" he shouted.

Stella widened her eyes when she saw Chaos coming towards her. She jumped backwards and out of the way as Sting soared through the opening towards the ZAKU. Athrun hissed. He pulled back on the stick and jumped backwards to avoid Chaos. He raced forward with his beam axe and slashed at the Chaos, catching him in the right arm, but Sting managed to position the limb in a way that it didn't do much damage to him. "You're good," he acknowledged. "But not good enough!" Pushing forward, Sting withdrew one of his beam sabers from his hip and cut sideways, sending the ZAKU's beam axe flying off in another direction. He chopped upwards and severed the mobile suit's left arm next. Athrun moved backwards to get clear of the attack. Cagalli balanced herself delicately next to him and cried out as Chaos launched itself at them once again.

Something blasted against Sting's back and he lurched off balance away from the ZAKU. Athrun took this much needed opportunity and darted away from the fight. Both pilots craned their necks up to see something approaching fast from the west. Darting up and away from the mobile suits, the Core Splendor folded its wings into its main fuselage and, using a sophisticated laser guidance system, linked up with the trailing Leg Flyer and attached itself to the latter device's upper socket. Reducing speed, the pilot approached the Chest Flyer which had gone on ahead during the flight to the base. The lasers helped bring in the Chest Flyer and attached it over the Core Splendor's cockpit, creating a body. The Leg Flyer's legs extended themselves to their full length as a head appeared out of the Chest Flyer's upper section and a set of arms emerged from its sides. Finally, the front half of the Sword Silhouette came off and the main pack attached itself to the new creation's back, which then altered the machine's color from gray to red and white. From this height, the newly created mobile suit crashed down to the ground upright, in between the Chaos, Gaia, and the ZAKU, two mighty swords held in its hands. Combining both blades into one huge double-edged sword, the mobile suit gleamed brightly in the morning light.

The ZGMF-X56S Impulse stood proudly among the wreckage of the base, smoke and fire still rising against the blue sky overhead. Inside the cockpit, Shinn Asuka shouted, "Why is this happening? Do you guys wanna start another war?" The Impulse's engines revved and it sped towards Gaia and Chaos. Inside the ZAKU's cockpit, Athrun and Cagalli looked on in shock, both too startled to even move.

**End PHASE-01.**


	3. Phase 02 Those Who Cry For War

**Phase-02 Those Who Cry for War**

_**-L4 PLANT Armory One, October 2, C.E. 73, 1020.**_

The giant double-pronged sword spun in a three hundred-sixty degree circle with enough speed to cut through almost any object known to man. Even though that was its purpose for existing in the first place, it was still mind-boggling to know that such a power existed. The Impulse halted its display of ferocity and lunged at the Gaia with its sword extended. 

Shinn cried out as he swung his blade from right to left, carving up the ground beneath the Gaia's feet. Stella managed to jump into the air in order to evade the attack, but the sheer force of impact sent Gaia flying backwards and off-balance. "Damn," Shinn cursed. He snapped his head up just in time to see Abyss coming at him from the right. Auel fired his chest and shoulder cannons at him, but Shinn increased the throttle and dodged the attack.

"What the hell is that thing? We were told there were only three!" Auel shouted to no one in particular.

Sting answered though. "Another GUNDAM? Has to be. We have no data on this thing, though. What the hell…?" He brought his rifle to bear and launched a series of shots at the Impulse, which skated off the ground and around in a small arc. Shinn spun his sword with his wrist and jumped into the air. His path took him high into the sky above Chaos. Sting paused for a split second and Shinn throttled down so that Impulse dropped rapidly towards Chaos. Sting darted out of the way just in time before the Impulse's sword plunged into the concrete tarmac that he'd just been standing on, sending slabs of concrete in several different directions. Without missing a beat, Shinn brought his CIWS guns to bear and fired a series of quick shots at Gaia which had regained its balance behind him. Stella transformed her machine so that the shots went high and charged at him. Shinn cursed and brought his sword up to block Stella's attack, which sent him backwards, but he managed to keep himself upright and land on his feet, much to the amazement of the three pilots. "Damn," Sting spat. "This guy's good."

A few meters away, inside the damaged ZAKU, Athrun and Cagalli watched in awe as the Impulse charged quickly back into battle. "What? A GUNDAM?" Cagalli stuttered, hardly believing what she was seeing.

"Where'd this one come from?" Athrun wondered out loud. _Is this one of the PLANT's new machines too?_ He thought.

Impulse jumped up over Gaia and delivered a swift kick to its mid-section. Auel fired at him from a distance, catching Shinn in the shoulder. Shinn lunged at Auel, forcing the blue-haired pilot to evade by jumping into the air.

"Shinn!" Glancing at his radio, Shinn was met by the face of the _Minerva's_ combat commander, Arthur Trine. His voice shouted strictly through the radio, "You're orders are to capture them! You do understand that right? Those belong to us!"

"I know that!" Shinn responded. "I don't know if I can take them though!" As he spoke, Chaos emerged from its temporary hiding spot behind a destroyed hangar building and shot at him. Shinn dodged the shots and added, "These guys are nuts! How did this happen in the first place?" Shinn separated his swords and landed with his legs angled at ninety-degrees to one another. Stella drew one of her own beam sabers and slashed at Impulse's torso. Shinn brought one of his swords up to parry and intercepted her attack. "How could we let the enemy steal them so easily?!" he added. He extended Impulse's right knee and pushed forward, sending Gaia backwards. Before Shinn could capitalize however, he was forced into evasive maneuvers again by Abyss' assault from behind. "Damn it!" Shinn shouted again as he turned to fight them off yet again.

Meanwhile, on the _Minerva's_ bridge, Arthur took his mouth away from the radio and said, "What's going on out there? Who is in those machines?"

"Someone who doesn't want us to find out _who_ they are, probably," Roland responded from the lower part of the bridge.

"This isn't the time to be chatting about such things!" Talia interrupted. She directed her voice at Shinn. "This isn't practice! Concentrate on the battle, Ensign!"

"Roger!" Shinn shouted more in frustration than acknowledgement.

"Captain!" Meyrin shouted next to Arthur, "Commander Bourdais has just arrived on board."

Below on the hangar deck, Aves stood with the four new pilots who were trying to get an update out of him. "I already told you, I don't know the specifics! If you must know, ask the bridge."

"But sir, how can we act if we don't know the situation?" one pilot demanded.

"There must be something we can do!"

"What good are our machines if they're just sitting in the hangar?"

Aves heard the door nearby sigh open slowly. A red clad figure with a helmet dashed past at a full sprint. "Is my ZAKU ready, Chief?"

"Uh…yeah!" Aves shouted back. "Vino's prepping it now, Commander."

Bradley's feet clanged against the metal gangway beneath his feet as he ran towards his violet and white ZAKU resting up against the side of the hangar. Vino Dupre was standing upon the open cockpit hatch performing last minute checks with a lab-top. "You're all-set, Commander," he said as Bradley ducked inside the cockpit and settled into the seat.

He punched the radio as the hatch closed in front of him. "Bridge, this is Bourdais. Open the hatch, I'm taking off."

"Wait, Commander. You haven't received clearance yet," Meyrin answered.

"Listen, strap a weapons pack on this thing and let me get out of here. I've gotta go help Kid!" Bradley scolded her.

Meyrin glanced uneasily at Talia who nodded. "All right, Commander, you've been cleared for takeoff."

"Thank you." Bradley switched on his monitors and diagnostics as his ZAKU Warrior was elevated to one of the smaller catapults. He stepped onto the catapult and felt the grind of machinery all around him as a weapons pack was attached to his machine's back. He reached up and sealed his visor.

"Course clear for launch!"

"Bourdais, ZAKU heading out!" The board blinked all blue and his machine lurched forward, launched into the sky by the force of the catapult. Bradley kicked his engines into high gear and headed off to where the battle was.

As the ZAKU jetted out and away from the ship, the group including Gilbert, Eileen, and several other soldiers and guards began to make their way across a gangway that would allow them access to the ship. "As soon as we're on board we're going up to the bridge, Eileen. Hopefully we'll be able to get some sort of grip on the situation by then," Gilbert said.

"Are you all right, Gilbert?" Eileen whispered so that none of their entourage would hear. Gilbert glanced back at her inquisitively. "You're not worried about the kids are you?"

Gilbert smiled. "Of course not. They're grown up now, they can take care of themselves quite well, I'm sure." As they passed through the entrance door on the side of the ship he added, "Though I would find it hard to believe that you would be asking me that since I'm not the only one who has someone they care about on board this ship." Eileen frowned and Gilbert could see her cheeks flush slightly.

"Roland, any status on Rey and Lunamaria?" Talia demanded.

"They're still stuck on the ground," Roland reported. "Right now the only one's we have that can fight are Impulse and Commander Bourdais' ZAKU. The new GuAIZ's haven't been prepped for action yet."

"Captain, we're receiving word from the ground that poisonous gasses were released into the air as a result of the explosion earlier," Bart added. "They've begun evacuation of the closer districts as a precaution."

"Get the commander center online, Meyrin," Talia ordered. She picked up the phone connected to her chair and dialed a series of numbers. "If they're here on a capture mission, there should be a carrier waiting outside." _Let's just hope that we can find it before _it_ finds us…_

_**-Armory One Command Post, 1025**_

Maintaining a state of combat readiness during the Chairman's visit had allowed for a fast response from the command post at the onset of the assault. Immediately calls went out to scramble mobile suits and although this tactic was proving futile because of the power of the new machines, it was still in continuance when Yuri arrived by jeep and practically sprinted through the doors and into the complex. He tore past dozens of ZAFT soldiers in his path and reached the large command room where the battle on the ground was attempting to be coordinated.

The base commander named Shockley saluted as Yuri stood beside him slightly out of breath. "Sir!"

"What's the situation," he demanded.

"Sir, explosions have been sighted in quadrants two and six from gas lines being severed. Sensors also indicate the presence of poisonous gases in the air and we've begun evacuations."

A soldier handed the commander a data sheet. "Commander. Estimated losses so far, sir."

Yuri could see his subordinate's eyes widen as he scanned the document. "That's impossible. How can we have lost over half of our air defenses already?"

"Those new mobile suits possess incredible amounts of power, sir. The only reason we haven't lost more is because of the Impulse keeping them busy."

"Commander, incoming call from the _Minerva_." Shockley listened to the message and frowned. "I don't need Gladys to tell me that, _I know_!" he shouted. "Tell her not to interfere with issues under my control!"

"Hey, knock it off!" Yuri broke in commandingly. "It's not making anything better around here if my officers are fighting with one another." He came up to one of the consoles where a soldier was sitting and brought up some images on the monitor. One showed the Impulse engaged in combat with the three mobile suits. It appeared as though Asuka was having to fight more defensively than anything else, which meant that if he wasn't careful he would end up as a casualty too. "Raise the alert level to maximum. Order the fleet outside and in the docks to mobilize. Alert them to be on the lookout for a carrier waiting somewhere outside the PLANT. Meanwhile, start bringing the wounded to safe locations and get fire crews to their designated locations. Where's the Chairman?"

"It's been confirmed that he and Representative Canaver just boarded the _Minerva_, General."

_Good. Maybe now we can stem the onslaught a little…_ Yuri thought.

Alarms were sounding throughout Armory One now, including at the docks and the central command center near the PLANT's central axis. The docks reserved for military ships were now buzzing with activity as crews rushed across gangways and access ramps trying to get the big ships ready for launch. Inside the center the onrush of incoming traffic was so much that Telkan found it hard to keep up. His day had started out so normal and all of sudden he'd been thrust into the heart of a major battle that was happening on the ground.

"Start the mobilization. All ships are to launch when ready!"

"The _Attica _reports she'll be ready to go in five minutes, Commander."

"The 5th Division has taken up patrols in the second sector, sir. They report no activity."

"Tell them to keep looking. There's got to be something out there if they were here on a capture mission only."

Telkan's screen was now moving so fast that his eyes were hurting. The green letters and numbers scrolled across his screen and disappeared in a matter of seconds. "Polmon, what's the status in sector 5?"

"Uh…sector 5…nothing sir…" Telkan bit his lip. He hadn't divulged the report from sector 5's patrols and had lied in order to save his own skin.

"Keep monitoring it then."

"Yes, sir…" Telkan responded uneasily.

A hundred meters away from the PLANT, an object was moving through space towards the docks. It was dark, enough so that it was almost invisible to the naked eye. It was shaped like a human, with arms and legs. The only difference was that there were also guns attached to its body, which included two large cannons on its shoulders, one inside its chest, and a bazooka clutched in its right arm. Inside the mobile suit's cockpit, a slender figure with short green hair, clothed in a standard Earth Alliance pilot's uniform, sat silently among the sharp, mechanical noises coming from his diagnostic board in front of him. Because stealth was paramount to his mission, he kept his main engines off, relying solely upon his thrusters to propel him towards his destination. So far, the technique had worked. None of the ships in the region had made any attempt to stop him so far. He sighed. He hadn't known what to expect when he first stepped inside this cockpit. It was reminded him so much of his previous one that it amazed him. This mobile suit was almost exactly the way that one had. Of course, there were some differences, mainly in the amount of firepower at his disposal. Two grenade launchers were now attached to each wrist and his bazooka had been modified to act as a launcher for heat seeking missiles if he detached the front portion. And of course, there was the paint scheme, which was what he liked the most about this new mobile suit. It was painted a dark hue of blue and black specifically to blend in with space. He checked his monitors. He still hadn't been spotted. The PLANT was growing larger and larger in his view. He smiled. It was almost time.

In another part of space, two _Nazca_-class warships circled their specific area of patrol, searching for the carrier that should be out here if the battle was to be going the way it had been predicted. They were right…to a certain extent.

"Lieutenant Sabnak reports that he's almost reached his target." The bridge of the warship was in the shape of a three-sided square, with two crewmen on each side manning computer consoles and another two individuals centered at the top of the square near the rear of the bridge. One individual was clad in white like the rest, while the other wore all black with long blonde hair and a black mask covering his upper features. It was a humble control facility for the powerful warship that was moving silently through space.

The man in black, Colonel Neo Roanoke, glanced at his wrist watch and watched it slowly tick away. 3…2...1… "Okay, let's go. Inconspicuously though, if you can manage."

The siren for battle stations was sounded and the man beside him, Captain Ian Lee, began to bark out commands. "Aim Gottfrieds one and two! Load missile launchers one through eight with Korinthos missiles! Izara and Harade, go to standby."

"Izara craft and Harade craft proceed to catapult," one of the bridge crew mouthed into his comm.

"Adjusting course to red beta thirty-five, mark nine five four Charlie," the helmsman reported.

Casually, Neo added, "Main guns target the portside _Nazca_-class. Disengage Mirage Colloid upon firing. Engines to maximum."

"Izara reporting. Ready for launch."

"Harade, reporting. Standing by and ready."

Neo smiled. "Now, things are finally gonna get more interesting, gentleman." Ian smiled beside him. "Let's go, Captain."

"Gottfrieds! Fire!" Ian yelled. There was a split-second delay before the twin Gottfried cannons mounted on the ship's leg shaped bow opened fire and unleashed green laser beams at the _Nazca_ in their path. The shots caught the ship in the port claw, directly above the munitions magazine. The beams ripped through the hull and caused a massive explosion that shook the ship as a result of her magazine exploding. Very quickly, the entire ship was engulfed in flame and disappeared without a trace seconds later. The second _Nazca_ watched in wonder as its counterpart vanished into space, shocked at what had just happened. Its Gottfried cannons still firing, the _Girty Lue_ dropped its Mirage Colloid and emerged from the blackness of space to unleash its fury upon the forces in its path.

"The _Herschel _had been hit!"

"What?" the Commander shouted, his expression astounded.

"Missiles approaching _Fourier_. Eighteen of them!" came another cry.

The soldier beside Telkan added, "Unidentified vessel located! One vessel! Location Orange twenty-five, Mark eight bravo. Distance 2300!"

"That close?" the Commander yelled again, this time right behind Telkan who was forced to squint against the volume of his superior's voice.

"Mirage Colloid…" the soldier murmured. 

"Are they Earth Forces?"

"Searching heat pattern library. No match found!"

"Damn it! Counterattack! Send out ships! Mobile suits too!" the Commander shouted at the top of his lungs.

The second _Nazca_ attempted to fire back at the _Girty Lue_, but the latter was too fast and swung around to the side of the other vessel, taking itself out of the line of fire. "_Nazca_-class distance 1900."

"Turn twenty immediately after launching mobile suits!" Neo ordered. "Put us behind the ship and target Indigo _Nazca_-class when ordered. Be sure not to get hit by their gunfire," he added.

"Izawa launching!" From out of the front hatches, both Dagger L units that had been on standby rushed out towards the _Nazca_, which was now attempting to launch its own mobile suits. The lead Dagger used its shoulder cannons to attack the open hatch and struck the inside of the ship with a series of shots immediately after two GuAIZ R mobile suits launched from the _Nazca_. One of the GuAIZ's attempted to fire back, but the second Dagger swooped past the lead one and fired its cannons at the ZAFT mobile suit, catching it in the upper torso and head, tearing it to shreds.

From the cockpit of the Night Calamity, Orga Sabnak watched the explosions from a distance and smiled. _Finally,_ he thought, _my turn_. He activated his engines and soared towards the dock entrance which was open to allow the warships inside a path to launch. He flew in high, his mobile suit's head barely sneaking past the ceiling of the facility. Orga spotted a green _Laurasia_-class attempting to sortie near the mouth of the dock. He flipped the Night Calamity onto its back and brought his bazooka to bear on its bridge. The big ship had no chance in the confined space and Orga fired one shot straight through the bridge, decimating everything inside. He swept behind the ship and targeted his shoulder Schlag cannons, sending two shots into the port engine, effectively crippling the warship. 

With no bridge, the ship couldn't steer and raced out of control towards the command center. Telkan saw it coming first and his eyes widened and his mouth went aghast. He couldn't find the voice to scream as the starboard portion of the ship loomed larger and larger in the window. The ship struck the command center dead on, causing an explosion that leveled the entire facility.

The _Laurasia_ continued out of control and smashed into the next dock, striking a parked _Laurasia_ in the port side, jamming it up against the wall of the dock. Orga leveled off and sent two grenades into the pileup, which exploded in a giant ball of fire and debris seconds later. Orga retraced his path and got himself out of the way of the explosion. He watched as it swept through the dock, incinerating everything that it touched whether it be mobile suits, fuel, or soldiers. He couldn't help but smile.

"Orga!" He glanced at his view screen and saw Neo's face. "What's your status?"

"What do you think?" Orga chuckled. "All I can see is fire and debris."

"Good job. Wait there for the others them and escort them back to the ship."

"What?!"

"The goal of this mission is the seizure of the mobile suits, Lieutenant. This mission will be for naught if we don't get them. Standby and make sure they get out."

Orga growled. "All right." As much as he hated to do it, he made his way out of the burning dock and back into open space.

_**ZAFT Base, Armory One, 1030.**_

"Take this!" Stella sprinted towards the Impulse, beam saber aimed directly at its cockpit. Shinn decreased throttle and dropped down onto one knee so that the attack missed over his shoulder and barely grazed him.

Shinn ground his teeth together in frustration. "You son of a…" An alarm forced him to cast a quick glance to his left, just in time to see the Abyss launch its attack. Shinn jumped backwards quickly and managed to dodge the attack, the beams splintering the ground where it struck. Stella swung her beam saber at him again, but Shinn intercepted her attack with his sword. He violently surged forward and pushed Gaia away from him. In a matter of seconds, Shinn reached back and withdrew a beam boomerang and flung it at the Gaia which was still in mid-air. The boomerang struck Gaia in the torso and sent it flying away. "Damn you!" Stella shouted, but it was futile because Shinn couldn't have heard her if he tried, for Auel was on top of him an instant later.

"Gotcha now!" Auel fired his cannons at Impulse and caught the mobile suit in the shoulder knocking Shinn off balance. Auel jumped forward towards him, but Shinn separated his sword into its two original components and fended off his attack by deflecting the beams away.

Shinn then felt himself being thrown forward as something hit him from behind. Sting had attacked from cover and caught the Impulse in the back with several quick shots. He then sprang to his feet and slammed into the Impulse shoulder first. Shinn couldn't stop his forward momentum and smashed into one of the few remaining structures, collapsing the wall and dropping to his knees.

A short distance away, out of sight from the bigger machines, Athrun watched intently as Chaos and Abyss hovered close to where the Impulse was now struggling to its feet. Impulse was completely helpless now. Those two machines would tear him apart. Athrun snarled. He didn't exactly know why he was going to do what he was about to, but something inside of him just told him that he couldn't let the pilot of the Impulse die. He quickly pressed a few switches and withdrew his machine's beam tomahawk. "Athrun…?" Cagalli said.

"Hang on!" Athrun sent his ZAKU flying forward towards the Chaos.

"You're finished!" Auel shouted as he aimed his guns at the vulnerable Impulse. Shinn's eyes widened, but then he saw a blurry object race into his view. Athrun's ZAKU smashed into Chaos which was then thrown into the Abyss, sending both mobile suits tumbling away.

_What the…?_ Shinn thought to himself. What was ZAKU doing here? With one arm nonetheless?

Athrun tossed his tomahawk at the two mobile suits and caught Chaos in the shoulder sending sparks flying everywhere. Athrun hissed. It hadn't done any damage whatsoever. He snapped his head to the right just in time to see Gaia flying towards him. Stella raced at full speed towards the helpless ZAKU and crashed into it, sending it flying backwards into a mound of debris. Athrun was slammed against the back of his seat upon impact and jammed his hand against one of the control sticks. He cried out in pain and reached for his hand. It was then that he heard Cagalli cry out. He called her name and was shocked when she collapsed into his lap. He shouted to her again and cradled her head. He withdrew his hand and his mouth dropped at the sight of blood trickling down his palm. He looked down at Cagalli's prone form. _Damn! Why'd I put her in this situation?_ Gaia brought one of its beam sabers to bear upon the prone ZAKU and prepared to attack. Athrun watched it come towards them and cursed himself for his foolishness.

Suddenly, the beam saber exploded in Gaia's hand. Stella stopped dead in her tracks. "Hey Kid!" came a voice. Shinn glanced up to see a violet and white object coming towards him, its guns firing at the Gaia.

"Commander Bourdais!" Brad landed between Athrun and Stella and lurched forward, using his machine as a battering ram and swung at Gaia's head with his right arm before delivering a swift kick to its midsection. Stella cried out as she slammed backwards into a wall.

"Kid, take care of those two! I'll deal with this one!" Brad shouted as he withdrew his machine's beam axe from its holster. He charged at Gaia. Shinn nodded and glanced at Chaos and Abyss which were just now getting back on their feet.

Athrun watched as the other ZAKU and the Gaia began to attack one another and then cast a glance at the other three which were just now beginning to fight. He stared down at Cagalli's unconscious figure and knew what he had to do at this point. He really had no choice as a matter of fact. His duty was still to protect Cagalli and that was what he was going to do. Increasing the throttle, he pushed the ZAKU away from the fight and headed towards safety.

On the other side of the base, ground crews were positioned in the rubble of one of the hangars desperately trying to remove chunks of concrete and other materials from atop of two ZAKUs that had managed to survive in tact. Behind them, Lunamaria and Rey waited patiently. "Rey, what's going on?" Lunamaria asked. "Have we been given orders by the _Minerva_ yet? What are we supposed to do when our machines are cleared?"

Before he could answer, a soldier summoned Rey over to him. "I don't know how many of the systems are going to be working, but it's the best we can do right now." Rey leapt into the open cockpit hatch and settled into the seat. He closed the hatch and powered up the systems quickly. He rose to his feet a moment later and keyed his radio. "Lunamaria. Move!" Allowing the people on the ground time to get out of his way, Rey leaned down and began to remove the larger portions of debris and eventually managed to free the pink ZAKU from its tomb. As Lunamaria worked her way inside, Rey said, "Get your weapons powered up. We're going to help Shinn and the Commander."

"What about the _Minerva_?" Lunamaria asked.

"The only enemies we have to deal with right now are the three machines that were stolen. Nobody's going to be able to get into the PLANT from the outside," Rey announced. "Right now, let's just worry about what's in front of us." Without another word, he kicked his engines into gear and raced towards the fight. Lunamaria did the same and followed in his wake.

Shinn swung both of his swords in a tandem attack directed at Sting, but the green-haired pilot managed to dodge all the attacks. Sting dislodged both barrel cannons from his mobile suit's backpack and surged forward at the Impulse. Shinn intercepted Sting's frontal assault and held bear against him for a few moments. Then Sting quickly backed off and retreated, giving his cannons a clear shot. Shinn dodged the first couple of shots from the twin cannons, but one shot got through and caught one of his swords perilously close to his hand, destroying it and damaging Impulse's hand in the process. Shinn cursed and dropped his other sword. He used his smaller CIWS guns now. He got off a few quick shots before Sting disappeared behind a mound of rubble.

Another shockwave shook the PLANT and Sting craned his neck upwards. There was a ball of fire coming from the PLANT's axis, where the dock was located. _Orga_, he thought. "Auel!"

"This bastard's not giving it up!" He unleashed a volley from all of his guns at the Impulse. Shinn tensed. He pulled hard on the controls and just barely managed to get out of the way before the shots smashed into the ground, detonating in an explosion that destroyed many of the already damaged mobile suits on the ground.

"Hurry it up! That explosion is our signal to leave!" Sting shouted.

Auel snickered. "At least Neo got something right."

Stella sliced with her beam saber, aiming for Brad's knees. The smaller machine managed to glide along the ground and retaliated with a flare from the double cannons on his machine's back. The bullets impacted the Gaia but did little more than annoy Stella. "These guys…why won't they give up?" She transformed her machine again and managed to catch the ZAKU in the right leg, sending Brad into a controlled roll to his right. He used his beam axe to help him balance and kept himself upright.

"Kid, you all right?"

Shinn called back, "Yes! But how the hell could something like this be allowed to happen to us?! It doesn't make any sense."

"I know, I know, but it won't do you any good to ask me about it," Brad retorted. "Just concentrate on your job and don't worry about anything else. If you let other things impair your judgment you'll only end up making yourself into a target!"

Sting and Auel both fired at the two enemy units from the air while using their thrusters to propel themselves away from the action. "We've got to get out of here soon," Sting said quietly, for the first time in quite a while.

"Damn. My machine's running out power," Auel called. Below, Impulse had taken to the air and was coming up to meet the two mobile suits.

"Mine too. Though it looks like he's still got plenty left," Sting commented. He glanced at his diagnostics and saw something else approaching. "There's more coming. Retreat, Auel. The least we can do is get these things back to Neo in one piece. Stella!"

Gaia had turned back to engage the ZAKU, which had now begun to use its guns as a deterrent in order to keep Gaia on the ground, and used her machine's own twin cannons to fight back. "I'll destroy him in no time!" The ZAKU made a charge at her, missing with its axe by just a short distance. As soon as Stella jumped into the air however, he once again opened up with his guns, spraying her mobile suit with fire. "This can't be. I…I…" The ZAKU jumped towards her. Stella swung her beam saber at him, but instead it connected with his axe, sending sparks flying. "I can't let this guy win!"

Brad hissed. "Damn it…" His board then picked up the incoming blips. _About time_, he thought.

"Stella!" Sting shouted, louder this time. He dislodged his pods and attacked Impulse from opposite directions. Shinn deflected them with his mobile suit's shield and shot back, only to have his own shots absorbed by Chaos' shield. "Stella!" Sting repeated.

Auel, who had gone to the same attack axis as one of Chaos' pods, looked casually over his shoulder down towards Gaia and said, "If you won't leave now, then you'll have to die here, Stella!"

Stella froze! She didn't even move a single muscle. Her mobile suit hung in mid-air for several seconds. Brad sat up in his seat and stared out at the suddenly immovable mobile suit. Stella's breath came in shallow shrieks. Her mind was racing as he body seemed to stiffen like a statue. "Auel!" Sting shouted harshly.

"I'll give Neo a message on your behalf. That you said 'Goodbye'!" Auel continued. Stella didn't have the voice to respond.

Brad shook his head, still trying to figure out what was happening. He quickly reached back and tossed his beam axe in a manner that reflected a beam boomerang's and sent it spinning towards Gaia. It would have hit, had Chaos not come out of nowhere and taken the hit in the shoulder. Sting fired down at the ZAKU, forcing Brad to find another spot to fire. Sting glanced at the Gaia, which still wasn't moving. He could make out Stella's voice, just a tiny whisper. "Die…?"

He frowned. "Auel! What the hell?!"

"She wouldn't stop! I had no choice-!"

"Shut up you dumb-ass! That was uncalled for!" Lowering his voice, he added, "Stella?"

"I…I…Goodbye…" _Oh crap…_ "NOOOOO!!!" Gaia suddenly sprang into the air, soaring higher and higher away from the base.

"You said it yourself Sting. We have to get these things back to Neo. That's our mission!" Auel responded.

Sting growled. "Keep that other guy off of her then!" Without another word, Sting took off in pursuit. Auel fired a few rounds in the direction of the Impulse, enough to delay Shinn's response until Abyss was heading in the direction of the other machines.

Shinn stopped for a few moments. His mouth was ajar. "What the hell…?"

"Shinn!" He glanced to his right and saw two ZAKUs approaching fast from starboard. "Where'd they go?" Lunamaria repeated.

"That way," he answered. "I don't know what just happened. They just retreated all of sudden."

"They're going to try and bust out of the PLANT and get back to their carrier." Brad flew towards his pilots and added, "It'll take 'em a while to get through the exterior though. We've got to stop 'em before they get outside or else we'll be finished."

Without waiting, Shinn bolted in the direction the three mobile suits had just headed shouting, "They won't get away!". Brad and Rey followed right behind him, as did Lunamaria, but shortly into her rise one of her thrusters caught fire and burned out in a cloud of smoke behind her. Her machine lost altitude and slowly began to descend towards the ground. "Commander!" Lunamaria shouted.

"Get back to the _Minerva_!" Brad shouted back. "Tell them we'll bring back those mobile suits…!" His voice dissolved into a cloud of static. Lunamaria frowned at not being able to continue, but abided by her Commander's orders and turned back towards the dock where the _Minerva_ was located.

As they climbed higher into the PLANT's artificial atmosphere, Rey pulled his ZAKU alongside the Impulse and said, "I can see them up ahead of us."

Indeed, directly ahead were Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss, edging closer and closer to Armory One's exterior layers. "Be careful, guys," Brad advised. "Desperate people can do desperate things."

Sting saw the incoming ZAFT forces and swore inside his mind. "Auel!"

"You don't have to say it," was Auel's reply. Quickly, he fired his chest cannon in the direction of the others. Sting released his pods and fired his beam rifle.

"Scatter!" Brad's voice was a blur as he, Shinn, and Rey split off in different directions in order to get out of harm's way.

Stella cried out as she fired all of her guns at the exterior layers of the PLANT. The blue material was tough; it absorbed the impact without taking much damage. Stella continued firing at the same spot, trying helplessly to break the seemingly unbreakable barrier. She saw the two mobile suits closing fast upon her. Both Shinn and Rey fired their weapons at her, but Stella dodged. "I…I…I won't die!" Stella shouted. She used her shoulder mounted cannons and fired at them, but still they kept coming. "No…no…"

"I won't let you escape!" Shinn shouted. Suddenly, the Impulse shook from an impact. One of Chaos' pods had snuck around behind him and shot him in the back. Sting appeared himself to Shinn's right, firing his beam rifle at him. Shinn kept his distance and expertly evaded the attack, which allowed Rey to get some clean shots in on Chaos. Sting took the hits with his shield and fell back. Shinn fired his cannons on the Impulse's head at Chaos and Gaia, but none of his shots hit.

"If they break through the barrier, we're done for," Rey said.

"I know that!" Shinn answered bitterly.

"Don't lose your cool Shinn. That's the last thing you want to do."

Meanwhile, Brad had caught up to the Abyss and was now waiting stationary for the blue mobile suit to come back into his range of fire. Auel circled his opponent like a lion stalking a wildebeest, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. "You won't do anything just sitting there," Auel mocked.

Brad narrowed his eyes inside his helmet. _Come on…come on. A little more…_ Abyss was slowly wandering into the spot that he wanted him to. All he needed now was-

Auel fired suddenly, utilizing the guns in his mobile suit's backpack to attack the ZAKU from two sides. Brad released his beam axe and brought his shield up to defend. It did little use as several shots struck his machine in the legs and shoulder, ripping holes into the armor and causing the sensors in the cockpit to whine in anguish. Auel grinned from ear to ear as he saw the ZAKU's beam axe fly past him weakly. "That's the best you've got?" he mocked. "And you call yourself a pilot."

Brad cringed inside his cockpit. He waited patiently. Then he smiled. "Gotcha!" he whispered. There was a sudden shockwave that came across the Abyss. Auel snapped his head to his right and saw something grind into his machine's right arm just below the elbow. Brad had allowed himself to be attacked in order to launch his beam axe in the boomerang technique he had used against Stella earlier and he had caught Auel off guard. Auel paid the price, for the beam axe cut completely through the steel that held together Abyss' arm and amputated the limb from the mobile suit. Auel drew back in shock and watched as the ZAKU caught its axe cleanly with its right hand. Although his machine had been damaged badly by the earlier attack, Brad managed a smile. Auel shouted in anger and fired madly at Brad, but this time Brad juked his ZAKU out of the way and evaded the shots.

Up ahead, Stella continued her relentless assault on the barrier, but it didn't seem to be doing much. Sting barrel rolled Chaos rapidly, evading the fire coming from Shinn and Rey's respective guns. "Damn," he swore. He glanced to his left and saw the Abyss and ZAKU Warrior closing fast as well. Auel's mobile suit also appeared to have taken damage. _At this rate we won't make it out of here alive,_ Sting told himself. He quickly recalled both of his weapons pods and flew towards Stella. "Auel, give me a hand!" he ordered. Auel fired a quick series of pot-shots at the Impulse and ZAKU Phantom as he flew past to join Sting near the barrier. "All together, okay!"

"Let's go!" Auel shouted as he fired all of his guns at once, which were soon joined by Sting's as well. Concentrating on the spot where Stella had been aiming earlier, their shots poured energy into the barrier and kept the pressure up until finally a tiny hole appeared in the blue armor.

"That's it!"

"Outta my way!" Sting watched as Auel raced past and fired all of his guns at the hole, ripping apart the surrounding barrier and creating a hole big enough for the space outside to begin its suction and draw them outside with overwhelming force. Auel flew through first, though with his forward momentum already carrying him towards the hole, it was more on his own than anything else.

Sting felt himself being pulled towards the hole and allowed the force to take him. "Stella!" He reached for Gaia's hand and Stella reached forward to grasp Chaos' within her own. Very quickly, the two were drawn outside into the darkness beyond.

"Damn it!" Shinn shouted. "They got through!" Without another word, Impulse darted for the hole.

"Shinn!" Rey shouted. He followed in the bigger mobile suit's wake.

"Kid, Rey, wait!" Brad ordered, but it was of little use. The force of the pull from the outside had already reached him and was drawing him towards the hole. With little other choice, Brad allowed himself to be taken through the hole with his comrades into space.

**_-1045._**

_Girty Lue_ rolled on her backside and fired her twin Gottfried cannons towards the motionless _Nazca_ dead ahead. The shots caught the ship in the mid-section, penetrating deep within the hull, setting the ammunition magazines and engine room ablaze. Within a matter of seconds, the once proud warship was nothing but a cloud of fire and debris.

"_Nazca_-class ship has been destroyed," one member of the _Girty Lue's_ bridge crew reported.

Neo glanced casually at the scene outside the view port. There wasn't anything between them and the PLANT now, with the exception of the ZAFT forces that were on patrol in other sectors, but it would take them some time to get to their present location. With Orga's success at the docks, their phase of the plan had been carried out. Now all that was left was for the pilots to return with their newly acquired hardware. Neo rolled up the sleeve of his jacket and glanced at his watch. He frowned. It had been almost an hour since the attack should have begun. What was taking them?

"Did they fail?" Neo turned to Ian who had uttered the phrase. "It was a dangerous mission."

"If I had expected them to fail, I wouldn't have allowed them to take on the mission in the first place," Neo answered. He folded his hands in his lap. "I wonder…"

"Heat sources detected from omega thirty-six," one crewmember informed them. "Confirmed to be mobile suits."

"Three GuAIZ R units, Colonel."

Neo smiled. This presented an interesting opportunity for him to add to the mission. "Where are Izara and Harade?" he asked.

"They're returning now, sir."

"Tell them to engage the incoming enemies and protect the ship." He slowly got up from his chair. "I'm going to launch too. Inform the deck crew."

"Yes, sir," Ian answered. He could hear Ian bark out commands as he kicked off the deck and headed for the elevator just behind the bridge. "Load sledge-hammers into aft missile tubes. Decelerate ten for twenty seconds and turn starboard thirty degrees helmsman. Aim Gottfrieds."

Outside, the three GuAIZ R units closed in on the _Girty Lue_. The two Dagger L mobile suits returned to defend their ship, which now was appearing to turn away from combat. It launched its missiles towards the incoming mobile suits, sending the pilots into evasive action. The Daggers swept in, firing madly at the ZAFT mobile suits. One ZAFT pilot managed to steady himself and get off a quick shot, catching one Dagger square in the chest, sending the shot through the cockpit and destroying the mobile suit. While the GuAIZs dealt with the last Dagger, they failed to notice that the _Girty Lue_ had turned back towards the fight and had reopened its hatch.

On the launch pad, Neo waited for the catapult to warm itself up and then it launched him and his personal mobile armor, the Exus through the hatch and into space. Neo watched his targeting circle rotate along his diagnostic board and saw the three GuAIZ's up ahead. He ordered his subordinate to get out of the fight and centered his targeting bracket on the nearest of the three GuAIZs. The ZAFT mobile suits attempted to fire back, but the Exus' new design made it smaller, sleeker, and faster than the Earth Forces' previous mobile armors and it dodged the shots easily. Neo released his gun barrels and sent them in four different directions. While the lead GuAIZ concentrated his fire on the cockpit, Neo positioned his barrels around the machine to cut off its escape routes and then fired. The ZAFT machine didn't have a chance. After dealing with the first one, Neo circled the other two and waited until his targeting bracket was centered. He then activated his barrels and eliminated the other two GuAIZ units before they even knew what was happening. All this had happened in a period of about ten seconds.

Something caught Neo's eye up ahead. "Neo!" Sting shouted.

"Are you all right?" Neo inquired.

"Stella's gone into panic," Sting reported. Neo sighed. "Auel's unit was damaged as well."

"Get them on board. You too Sting. Orga and I will deal with things out here."

"Yes, sir. There are others following us as well."

Neo raised his eyes behind his mask. "Ian, take the mobile suits on board. This was my fault. Orga, wait for me. There are others we have to deal with."

_**Minerva, 1045.**_

"Any word from them?"

"Nothing, ma'am," Meyrin responded. Her hand was playing with a dial on her console, trying to adjust the signal to find one of the mobile suits outside. "I can't get a signal."

"Keep trying then," Talia ordered.

"Captain, Lunamaria's returning. Her unit has sustained damage in battle," Bart added.

"Open the hatch and let her in," Talia called.

"Captain, we haven't been able to get a signal from the command center in some time," Arthur said. "Could that mean…?"

"If we have to assume the worst we must," Talia admonished. "Roland, what's the status on the ground?"

"There was another gas explosion in sector six a few moments ago, ma'am," Roland answered from below. "Evacuations are now in effect for all areas within proximity to the base."

"Ground units estimate the base lost over eighty percent of its equipment on the ground, Captain," Bart put in. "There are also reports of poisonous gases having been released into the air in sector four."

The door to the bridge opened. "Captain, if the ground forces have been annihilated-"

"I understand, Arthur," Talia interrupted. "Stay calm."

"If I may." Everyone on the upper half of the bridge looked back to see Gilbert, Eileen, and their escorts standing in the doorway to the bridge. "I've been informed that the command center and much of the main dock was destroyed as well," he declared darkly.

"What?"

"Other than that, I've received no reports from anyone on the ground. What's the status?" Gilbert demanded.

"We're trying to figure that out for ourselves, Mr. Chairman," Talia answered. "At the moment we have three machines still in combat and one returning for repairs as we speak."

"Is there anything we can do to help them, then?" Gilbert asked. "It wouldn't do any of us good if we lost anymore good people today, not to mention another of our new mobile suits."

"There may be. Arthur?" Talia asked.

Arthur, who hadn't moved in short period of time, shook his head and mumbled, "Uh…Captain?"

"Is Chief Aves and the deck crew ready to support a launch?"

"Pardon, Captain?" Arthur responded.

"If so, tell him to get ready. We're launching the _Minerva_ today!"

Lunamaria brought her ZAKU in slowly, maneuvering through the open hatch and settling onto the deck with a gentle thud. As she exited her mobile suit, she ran over to where Aves was yelling into a phone. "We're launching? Why now?"

"Our pilots are out in space now, Chief and they don't have any means of dealing with the stolen machines, not to mention a carrier. They're only chance of survival is if we go out and help them," Talia said.

"But that means-"

"I know it's sudden, but we have little choice left."

"Captain!" Talia glanced at one of her monitors and saw Victoria's face. "We have many wounded personnel from the ground on board. Can we afford to launch with this many injured on board?"

"I'll take care of the specifics," Gilbert interjected. Victoria seemed shocked to see his face behind Talia's. "It's nice to see you again, Victoria."

"Uh…you as well, Chairman," Victoria said, her voice visibly shaken. Talia sighed. She probably hadn't anticipated a reunion with him in this time and place.

"All hands, prepare for launch!" Talia shouted.

Outside, Impulse crept through the darkness and Shinn scanned the area around him. He had lost sight of the three mobile suits when they'd been pulled out into the vacuum and he had yet to find them. _Where are they?_ _They couldn't have escaped that quickly._ He checked his diagnostics again. There wasn't even a heat source being detected from any of the mobile suits.

"Kid, can you see anything?"

Shinn turned to where Brad and Rey hovered just behind him. "Nothing. There's no sign of any of them. Do you think they escaped?"

"Not a chance. With a carrier out here, they're more than likely heading back to it."

"We've got to find it," Shinn said.

"Easy, kid. We're only three mobile suits and that carrier probably has more machines waiting for the stolen ones to return," Brad sighed.

"Our machines are pretty beat up too," Rey pointed out. "How much power do you have left Shinn?"

Shinn glanced at his monitor and swore. "Not much."

"We'd better head back and wait for reinforcements to arrive," Rey said.

"But that means we'll have to let the mobile suits go!" Shinn cried.

"Kid, we really don't have a choice in the situation now," Brad cut in sternly. "The best we can do right now is just wait and see how the rest of the situation develops. That carrier's got to be around here somewhere, so keep your eyes peeled."

"Commander, take the lead. We'll cover-." Rey cut himself off. Something began to tickle at the back of his mind. Something familiar. It shot through his brain like an electric shock. Something was coming! "Watch out!" The warning came just in time, for right after the Impulse and both ZAKUs went evasive, all of the Exus' gun barrels attacked the spot where they'd just been sitting. Rey caught sight of the pink mobile armor as it zipped past him by only a few meters. He brought his rifle to bear, but the mobile armor was moving too fast.

Neo gazed at the scene outside his cockpit. Two ZAKU models and one he didn't recognize had appeared out of nowhere. _They must've come from the inside_, Neo thought. _That explains a lot._ "Ian, bring the captured machines aboard and brief the pilots. This was my fault. I'll take full responsibility." He turned his head to glance at the new mobile suit and managed a small smile. "I think I'll capture that one myself. Orga!"

On the _Girty Lue's _bridge, Ian watched as the newly captured mobile suits carefully made their way into the open hatch. "As soon as they're in change course to red delta eighty-nine, mark fifty-two and accelerate by twenty. There's still more we have to deal with."

Stella had somehow managed to shut the radio off and now found herself isolated inside Gaia's cockpit. She held her arms close to her body and shivered. "I'm okay…I'm okay…" she whispered to herself. "I'm not dead…"

Behind her, Chaos and Abyss touched down on the deck. "That was surprisingly entertaining," Auel commented.

"It's your fault it got that heated, you know."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Auel demanded.

Sting shot him a harsh glance. "You didn't have to do that to Stella."

"What other choice did we have?"

"She would have stopped eventually!"

"Yeah, right. You saw how she was fighting out there."

"Fine. Don't blame me when Neo bites you in the ass when he gets back for almost endangering the mission," Sting retorted, as he began to clamber out of the cockpit.

The Exus flew an erratic pattern around the Impulse and Neo used its gun barrels creatively enough to keep Shinn in the defensive. Shinn responded with quick bursts from his guns, making it so Neo couldn't keep one gun barrel in the same spot for long. "You're not the average pilot, are you?" Neo commented.

A short distance away, Brad and Rey arrived to help Shinn. "Concentrate on the cockpit, Rey," Brad ordered.

"Roger." While Rey used his rifle, Brad made use of his shoulder mounted guns and kept the pressure on the Exus, which was forced into a series of tight rolls and turns in order to keep itself from being scathed. Brad cringed. _This doesn't seem right, though. Why only one mobile armor?_

His diagnostic chimed a warning. "Incoming mobile suit!" Rey warned.

"Where? I don't see anything." Brad was suddenly thrown forward as something big struck his ZAKU from behind. The force was enough to jar his beam axe from his hand and send him sprawling a good distance. He managed to get a look behind him, but couldn't make out anything specific.

"Where's the other mobile suit?" Shinn demanded.

"It's camouflaged! Be careful, guys!" Brad shouted.

Night Calamity changed its course to put itself beside the damaged ZAKU Warrior. Orga snickered. "Heh…finally I get to have a little fun." He fired both of his Schlag cannons and struck the ZAKU in the back and arm, further damaging the mobile suit.

Warning sirens were now sounding in Brad's cockpit as his readings showed further damage to his ZAKU. Only a few more hits and he'd be finished. "Commander!" Shinn put the Impulse in front of the ZAKU and fired his guns at the camouflaged mobile suit. Orga easily evaded the shots because Shinn couldn't exactly _see_ where he was. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah…" Brad muttered.

"Shinn this is bad," Rey said. "We don't have the advantage. We have to retreat."

Shinn brought his shield up to fend off some shots from the Exus which had swept in again for a strafing run. He looked to the area where he thought he'd seen the enemy mobile suit, but now he had lost it completely. "Crap," Shinn swore. "What the hell's happening?"

_**-Minerva, 1050.**_

"Take the wounded onto D deck. Doctor Dullindal is waiting for them." Aves pushed his way past the medics who were still bringing wounded soldiers aboard the ship. He shouted, "Vino, Yolant, once the armor's cooled off check the internal systems!"

Lunamaria slinked out of the cockpit and stood on the open hatch beside Vino and Yolant. "One of my thrusters gave out just as I was leaving. I don't know which one it was though."

"It was probably damaged when the hangar originally collapsed onto it, but there's no guarantee," Vino told her.

"I'll be surprised if Rey's machine isn't having the same problem right now," Yolant added. "Though at least he's got Shinn and the Commander with him."

Something entered the still open hatch at the front of the hangar. "Did they confirm that the Chairman and Representative Canaver are aboard the _Minerva_?" Lunamaria asked.

"None of us know for sure where they are," Vino said. "All we know is that there's something out there that tore this place to pieces and we couldn't do anything to stop them."

Behind them, the object that had entered the hatch moments before thudded onto the deck. Many of the personnel in the hangar were shocked to see the green ZAKU standing in the middle of the hangar. "Where'd that come from?" Yolant wondered out loud.

"Who is that?" Vino added.

Inside the ZAKUs cockpit, Athrun began shutting down the mobile suit's systems. Since there wasn't anywhere relatively safe on the ground, the only viable solution he'd been able to find was the new battleship, so he'd taken a chance and landed on it without authorization. Based on what he could see below him through the view port, he could expect something less than a warm welcome from the people on board the ship.

There was movement beside him. Cagalli slowly opened her eyes and blinked away the mist that had formed in them. She moaned slightly, enough to get Athrun's attention. "A…Athrun?"

"Are you all right?" Athrun asked quietly.

"Yeah…just a little…ugh…" Cagalli reached for her head and touched the spot where she was bleeding. "Did I…?"

"You were unconscious for a while there. I now regret my decision to put you in this position."

"It's…okay," Cagalli murmured. "You couldn't have…ow…"

"Don't worry, we're safe now. I hope…"

The cockpit hatch slowly opened. Several of the deck crew had begun to gather underneath the ZAKU's legs, including Lunamaria, Vino, and Yolant. Athrun and Cagalli descended along the lifeline and touched down on the deck gently. "Who is that?" one of the crew wondered. Lunamaria reached around and grabbed away his machine gun. She turned quickly and pointed it at them.

Athrun froze at the sight of the gun barrel pointed at them. Lunamaria stared intensely at them as she held the gun unwavering. "Who are you?" she demanded. "What are you doing on board this ship?" Athrun frowned. "Identify yourselves!" Lunamaria repeated.

"Ath-" Cagalli began, but Athrun silenced her quickly.

"This is Representative Cagalli Yula Athha of the Orb Union. I am her escort, Alex Dino," he said.

"The Representative was separated from the Chairman and his entourage by the battle. We boarded this machine for the sake of safety and came aboard this ship when no other option proved available."

Lunamaria widened her eyes. Her gun wavered slightly. "Is she really the Orb Princess…?" she heard Vino asked behind her.

"The Representative has been injured," Athrun continued. "Is there a doctor or medical personnel on board this ship we could see?"

"All hands to condition red! Prepare for immediate for launch! I say again, all hands to condition red! Prepare for immediate _Minerva _launch!"

The announcement seemed to startle everyone in the hangar. "Launch? What are they thinking?"

"Are they really planning on launching the ship?"

"What about all the wounded on board?"

"Is this ship going into battle?" Athrun asked Lunamaria.

Lunamaria paused. She looked away. "We don't know. Follow me…I'll take you to the doctor."

On the bridge, the situation was calm and disciplined. "Put me through to General Amalfi," Gilbert told Bart who quickly dialed the appropriate code that would patch Gilbert into the command post.

"Have the deck crew close the hatch and begin preparations for launch," Talia ordered.

"All personnel are to report to their assigned battle stations at once," Arthur said through a separate channel. "Inform the fleet outside."

"Under the circumstances I'm afraid you may _be_ the fleet at the moment, Lieutenant." Arthur moved his eyes to where Eileen was now taking a seat behind Talia. "We received word en route that the forces outside were ambushed by a carrier and several mobile suits. We haven't received word since." Arthur's mouth went aghast. "Captain Gladys, we received orders from General Amalfi several moments ago. He's placed you in temporary command of the situation outside once the _Minerva_ has commenced launch."

Talia nodded. "Thank you, ma'am."

"R-Representative." Eileen glanced at Arthur. "Are we to assume that yourself and the Chairman will be accompanying us on this sortie?"

Eileen smiled, which came as a shock to those who were watching. "Assume whatever you'd like, Lieutenant. Either way, I don't have another option at the present time."

Arthur paused and then nodded. "Understood, ma'am."

"Captain Gladys?"

"Yes, Representative. All hands begin _Minerva_ launch sequence!"

Yuri's face appeared on the console in front of Gilbert. "Yes, Chairman?"

"The _Minerva _is heading out to take part in the battle, General. Representative Canaver and I will be joining them. I'm placing you in command of the situation here, General."

"Yes, sir. Please pass on this information to Captain Gladys and the others, sir. Their mission objective is the recapture and detainment of the stolen mobile suits and their pilots. I wish you the best of luck, sir." Yuri saluted Gilbert, who saluted back. "Good luck, Mr. Chairman."

"Good luck to you, General," Gilbert responded and Yuri's face disappeared.

"Roland! Do it!" Talia ordered.

Through the intercom, came a deep, bellowing voice that sounded throughout the entire ship and surrounding dock. In its authoritative manor, it announced, "Message for all hands at system control. As of this moment, LHM-BB01 _Minerva's_ classification code has been validated. The _Minerva _is currently going through its emergency launch sequence." The gangways that had kept the _Minerva_ secured to the dock slowly withdrew from the sides of the ship. Up ahead, the hatch to the hangar was gradually lowered into its closed position and locked down. Below, the massive steel doors that served as the _Minerva's_ launch point slowly began to disappear into the sides from whence they came. "A55M6 warning has now been activated. All ship and dock damage control teams are to remain on standby."

"Engage bottom repulsors, Ensign Roske!"

"Yes, Captain." The ship shook lightly as the small gravity repulsors turned on one by one and the _Minerva_ slowly began to descend through the newly created opening.

"Gate control online. _Minerva_ now being connected to gate lift." Several steel arms attached themselves to the ship's hull and assisted with the descent as the blue sky that had once surrounded the new warship was slowly replaced by the gray steel of the exit hatch.

Gilbert took his seat beside Eileen at the rear of the bridge. "Pilots report to briefing room immediately," Meyrin announced.

"All systems green, Captain Gladys," Roland's voice proclaimed.

"Lower the bridge!" Talia ordered calmly.

As the top portion of the bridge began to slowly descend to connect with the lower part, a mechanical whine surrounded the entire room. The smaller, lower half came into view seconds later. When it did, Gilbert sighed, though inaudibly enough so that no one else could here. There he was. He sat on the immediate left of the lower half, perched over his computer console, glasses balanced on his nose, his eyes serious and completely taken in by his work. With the exception of his short black hair, he was as he had always been. The spitting image of Gilbert himself. Ian Dullindal. His son. When the two portions of the bridge connected with one another, Ian did not even pay attention. Instead, he concentrated on the console in front of him. While he was doing his job, his lack of response still stung at Gilbert's heart ever so slightly, though he kept his emotion hidden from his face.

"This ship really is going into battle then?" Cagalli's question went relatively unanswered.

Lunamaria's only response was, "It appears that way."

She guided them down a long corridor deep into the bowels of the ship. They passed many hustling ZAFT soldiers along the way, who were on their way to their respective battle stations, each one with a determined look on their face. Athrun made a mental note of this. Things hadn't changed at all.

Finally, they came to a set of rooms that were crowded with medical personnel administering aid to the many injured that were now aboard the ship.

"Why are we taking off with all of these patients on board?" one of the medics asked.

"Got me. If three mobile suits are more important to them than their own people, then what the hell are we even doing here?"

"Stop chatting and concentrate on your work!" came a stern voice. Athrun watched as a tall, slender woman with long black hair and teal colored eyes, clothed in a green ZAFT uniform and a large, white lab coat entered from the adjacent room. "If these people die, I'm going to have all of you demoted to field duty!"

"Yes, Doctor Dullindal!"

Victoria noticed Lunamaria and the others and made her way over to them. "Who are these people? More patients?" she asked.

"They identified themselves as Representative Athha of the Orb Union and her bodyguard. They came aboard in a captured ZAKU."

Victoria paused. She looked first at Cagalli then at Athrun. She reached forward and touched Cagalli's forehead gently. "How did this happen?" she asked, fingering the gash in Cagalli's head.

"There was a little…turbulence along the way," Athrun answered reluctantly, receiving a questioning eye from Victoria in response.

"Bring her into the waiting room, I'll see to her in a moment. With the ship going into battle, we have to lock down the med rooms and make sure that all the other more serious injuries are taken care of first."

"Wait!" Athrun's voice stopped Victoria still. She glanced over her shoulder, her face showing annoyance. "This ship _is_ really going into battle?" he demanded.

"Athrun!" Cagalli yelled. Athrun tensed. He cursed himself. Everyone around him had seen it. Victoria's face visibly softened into a more startled expression.

"Athrun?" Lunamaria said beside them. She came to stand in front of Athrun and looked him in the face. "Athrun _Zala_?" Athrun sighed uneasily in response.

_**-1055.**_

Shinn put the Impulse into a tight, starboard turn in order to dodge the fire coming from the Night Calamity which had been locked onto him for some time. Orga fired his Schlags and bazooka at him again and again, each shot seeming to be coming closer and closer to him. Shinn tried to attack with his one remaining sword, but Orga was too fast. Utilizing his grenade launchers, Orga placed one close enough to send the Impulse flailing backwards. Shinn's eyes locked onto his diagnostic and saw an even more deflating sight. His armor reading had dropped into the red. He was out of power. His mobile suit changed back to its neutral gray color and his weapons fell silent.

"Ha! Gotcha!" Orga fired his chest cannon at the vulnerable Impulse. From out of nowhere, Rey's white ZAKU came between them and absorbed the attack with his shield, taking a considerable amount of damage in the process.

"Rey!" Shinn called.

"I'm okay!" Rey responded. "But we've got bigger problems now."

Shinn glanced ahead. From the other side of the PLANT's underbelly, a dark silhouette was emerging. It loomed larger and larger until its entire figure was visible. The _Girty Lue_ eased closer towards the three ZAFT mobile suits that lay ahead of her. Neo brought the Exus beside the Night Calamity and said, "Take the smaller two Orga. See to it that they don't escape. I'll deal with the larger one."

"Heh. Why don't we just let the _Girty Lue_ handle it? It'll probably be faster."

"For someone who's as fight prone as you are, I would think that you'd enjoy being back out on the battlefield."

"Don't judge me, blondie," Orga retorted.

Ahead, Rey placed himself in front of the Impulse and Brad's damaged ZAKU. Each pilot watched the incoming enemy with a fixating glance. "What do you guys think?" Brad asked to no one in particular. "What are our options?"

"We fight, that's what," Shinn answered. He began to head towards the Exus and Night Calamity.

"Shinn, wait!" Shinn abruptly halted the Impulse when something caught his eye above. The emergency hatch on the underside of the PLANT had been opened and small amounts of light were now trickling down into the darkness of space below. There was a shadow coming out of the shaft. Shinn's eyes widened when he saw it emerge.

"What is that?" Orga asked as he watched the massive object slowly descend out of the PLANT. Neo watched silently and did nothing.

"Launch successful. _Minerva_ is now clear of the PLANT!" Roland announced proudly in the darkened bridge.

"Proceed at maximum speed towards the enemy ship, designation Bogey One!" Talia ordered. "All weapons online! Engines to maximum! The _Minerva_ is going into battle!" The ship's multiple giant engines flickered to life and spat white flame from their exhausts. The entire ship shuddered at the full force of its acceleration. From the inside of the ship, the twin wings that stabilized the ship's thrust emerged and spread to their full length. With a great, metallic cry, the _Minerva_ headed out towards battle.

**END PHASE-02.**


	4. Phase 03 Warning Shots

**PHASE-03 Warning Shots**

**-_La Grange Point 4, October 2, C.E. 73, 1100._**

The _Minerva_ churned through space beneath the shiny, blue underbelly of the Armory One PLANT with her wings spread majestically; white exhaust fumes blasting from her engines. Her speed increased as she began to slowly turn towards the group of mobile suits just a short distance away, with the enemy warship further in the distance.

"The _Minerva_ has cleared Armory One, Captain," Arthur reported.

"Warship silhouette detected at mark fifty-five bravo, Captain," Bart added. "Laser designator also detecting heat sources at mark eighty-seven alpha. Believed to be a mobile suit and a mobile armor. Models unknown."

"The Impulse is completely out of power Captain," Meyrin said urgently. "Commander Bourdais' and Rey's units also appear to have been damaged."

Talia frowned. "Increase speed by ten and raise bow twenty," she commanded. "All personnel are to prepare for ship to ship and anti-mobile suit combat. Load all missile tubes and activate Tristan and Isolde! Target the enemy mobile suits and Bogey One as soon as target locks have been established."

"Send a message to our mobile suits to clear out of the area so the _Minerva_ can pass," Arthur said. "We don't want them getting caught in the cross-fire."

Talia turned toward Bart and said, "Any sign of the stolen machines?"

Bart narrowed his eyes as he scanned his console screen. "Nothing. Scanners don't detect any sign of them, Captain."

"There's too much radio interference to send a signal, Captain!" Meyrin added. "I can't get through to the Impulse and the ZAKUs!"

"The stolen machines are probably already back on board Bogey One, Captain," Roland said. "Those two mobile units out there are probably there to buy Bogey One time to escape."

_Damn bastards!_ Talia kept the harsh words to herself. "Ensign Dullindal, will you be able to establish a target from this distance?"

"The most I can guarantee is a fifty percent lock from here, Captain," Ian acknowledged. "Any further than this and we'd be better off shooting at them manually."

"Do the best you can, then. Keep messaging our mobile suits. Aim Tristan and Isolde, Ensign!" _Let's just hope our pilots are diligent enough to know when to escape…_ she silently hoped.

"Inside his cockpit, Shinn stared wide eyed as the _Minerva_ rapidly approached. "The _Minerva_? What?"

"Kid, get out of the way. The _Minerva_'s gonna go after the other ship. It'd probably be in our best interest if we weren't in the way," Brad said. Without another word, Brad sprang his ZAKU upwards and out of sight.

"They're not gonna fire at us are they?" Shinn gasped.

"Go, Shinn! We're in no position to put up a fight now, anyway," Rey shouted. Before Shinn could respond, Rey was also racing past him. Shinn scowled, but eventually increased his throttle and followed the Commander.

Neo retracted all four of his gun barrels and decreased the Exus' throttle enough so that it was almost stationary. "The new warship?" he murmured out loud. He smiled. "Now I understand." He reached forward and keyed his radio. "Lee?"

"Commander, what's going on?" Ian asked.

"This was my fault. Their new warship has deployed in an effort to help their mobile suits. Turn the _Girty Lue_ around. We're not in a favorable position at the moment. Our mission will be considered a success from this point. The best option would be to avoid a battle if at all possible and cut our losses before we take any."

"Yes, sir!"

Neo glanced to his left where he could make out to some degree the shape of the Night Calamity. Even though he'd seen the mobile suit many times, it was still hard to pinpoint its exact location with it camouflaged against the space backdrop. It was then he saw it dart forward towards the ZAFT warship. "Orga!" Neo called.

The diagnostic board in front of Orga swirled around to encompass the entire bulk of the _Minerva_. "New model, huh?" He unscrewed the front part of his bazooka and readjusted the calibration setting for his missiles. He sent a single heat-seeker towards the _Minerva_ just seconds later.

"Incoming missile!" Bart called

"Intercept! Turn bow twenty degrees to starboard. Fire Tristans at the apex of the turn!" Talia ordered.

"Mobile suit detected at point seven-seven omega," Bart said. He paused. "Now it's gone…"

"Gone? What do you mean gone?" Arthur asked.

"It's disappeared from our sensors," Bart responded. "It was there one moment and now it's disappeared."

"Camouflage…" Talia mumbled.

The small guns that made up the _Minerva_'s CIWS system were set into motion as the ship began its turn. They managed to seek out of the missile and eventually it was destroyed just a few meters from impact with the _Minerva_'s hull. The explosion blinded Orga temporarily and when his vision corrected itself, he was barely able to dodge the blasts that were fired from the twin Tristan cannons mounted on the _Minerva_'s top half. Several more shots were fired and Orga was forced to soar upwards in order to get out of harm's way.

Neo dislodged his gun barrels and arrayed them in various locations around the nearest ZAFT mobile suit, which happened to be the Impulse, still suffering from its dead battery. Shinn scowled. His only option now was to dodge, which he did effectively, but that wasn't going to get him anywhere in this situation. "_Minerva_! Send out the Force Silhouette!" he shouted.

"What?" Arthur said flabbergasted.

"Is he nuts?" Roland added. "In this kind of a dogfight it's more likely to get shot down if we deploy it."

"What's the distance to the Impulse Ensign Hawke?" Talia demanded.

"30 degrees to port at a distance of 1900, ma'am."

"Arthur, tell Aves to get the Force Silhouette ready for launch."

"Captain!" Arthur burst out.

"Do what he says, Arthur. If he thinks it's for the best, than do it," Talia reprimanded. "We have nothing to lose at this point."

Shinn was able to dodge all of the Exus' blasts with quick maneuvers, but that didn't mean that attack had stopped. Neo still concentrated his fire on the seemingly defenseless Impulse. "I'll capture that one myself!" Neo gloated before he released another volley from his barrels. However, he quickly rolled the Exus onto its top and dove downwards when something pinged in his mind. He readjusted the bearings on his guns and switched their target from the Impulse to the white ZAKU that had just appeared and taken a few shots at him. Rey continued firing his rifle at the pink mobile armor until the barrels began to target him. With amazing quickness, Rey dodged the shots and even managed to place one blast accurately enough so that it destroyed one of the Exus' barrels. Neo retracted his remaining barrels and chuckled. "You're not half bad there, white baldy."

Aves finished typing on his small keypad and said, "The schematics are all set." He turned and glanced at the red Force Silhouette Flyer which was now beginning to rise up to the main catapult. He pressed his headset to his ear and added, "The Force Silhouette is ready to go, Captain. Though I'm not entirely sure about this."

"We don't have a choice now, Chief. Just make sure it gets out into space."

"Uh…roger."

"Alert the Impulse and tell Shinn to get ready. Deploy the Force Silhouette when the position and velocity correspond," Talia ordered. "The Flyer's computer should do the rest on its own."

Up ahead, Shinn had managed to slip away from the melee and gotten himself into position directly ahead of the _Minerva_. Seconds later the Force Silhouette Flyer was sent screaming out of the warship's hangar and on a direct path towards the Impulse. Shinn decreased his throttle and released the Sword Silhouette that was still attached to Impulse's back. He used his mobile suit's laser guidance system and linked with the incoming weapons back, slowly bringing it towards him. The Impulse jolted as the Force Silhouette connected with it and instantly the battery reading soared back up to full capacity. Shinn smirked. He activated the Impulse's phase shift armor and lengthened out his shield so that it would fit with the rest of the pack. Without another word, he darted back into the fight.

Neo was still engaged in combat with Rey when he caught a glimpse of the brightly colored object rapidly approaching. "The fourth model? He changed equipment while I was busy with the other guy. Damn." Shinn fired his beam rifle at the smaller mobile armor, but Neo was able to speed away thanks to his craft's incredible acceleration. Retracting all of his gun barrels, Neo keyed his radio. "Lee, are the captured mobile suit's secure?"

"Yes, Colonel."

"Begin retreat. Our mission has been completed." He threw the Exus into a downward spiral in order to evade the onslaught that was still being launched by the Impulse. Shinn narrowed his eyes and snarled. He fired his rifle again and again. However, Neo was faster and soon managed to get out of range of Shinn's attack.

The next thing Shinn saw was the bright flashes of the _Girty Lue_'s engines blowing off large amounts of white flame and suddenly is began moving away from. "They're retreating," Rey said.

"They're not getting away!" Shinn shouted. He tried to go after the retreating forces but something grabbed hold of his shoulder and halted him. The delay allowed Neo and the Exus to slip away from him. "What the-?" Shinn snapped his head to see what was holding him back and was met by the image of a one-armed mobile suit.

"Forget about it, Kid. The situation won't allow us to chase after them ourselves," Brad said from inside his damaged ZAKU.

"He's right, Shinn. Let's get back to the _Minerva_ and regroup," Rey added. "It won't do us any good to chase after them with our mobile suits in these conditions." Shinn grimaced as he watched his enemies slowly begin to move away from him.

"Bogey One appears to be retreating, ma'am," Meyrin reported.

"Hmm," Talia murmured. She leaned back into her chair and placed her index finger and thumb on her chin. _They chose to fall back even though they could have put up a good fight…it's clear now that their primary objective was to capture the new models intact…_ "Ensign Hawke, order back the Commander, Shinn, and Rey. Ensign Roske. Maintain this course and speed and pursue Bogey One!"

"That's going to be difficult Captain. If we want to bring the mobile suits back on board safely we're going to have to cut our speed." Felix admonished.

"Can't we just bring them aboard at this speed?" Talia asked.

"Unless we want them crashing into the bulkheads in the hangar, then no. We'll be more likely to get our own people killed if we keep this speed up while we try to land our mobile suits" Felix answered.

"The Tristans won't be able to get clean shots from here, Captain," Ian said. "They'll be out of range in a matter of moments."

"Keep firing in the meantime, Ensign Dullindal. At least that will keep them from changing their mind."

"Captain. Commander Bourdais' and Rey's units have been damaged as well. It's going to take some time for them to be repaired," Roland said. "It may be in our best interest if we let Bogey One go for now until our units are restored."

Talia frowned. "Ensign Roske. Will we be able to catch up to Bogey One if we do what you say?"

"Without a doubt," Felix answered simply. "There's nothing out there the _Minerva_ can't run down, Captain."

"Very well. Bring our mobile suits back on board and commence with repairs immediately. The _Minerva_ will be leaving Armory One space and begin pursuit of Bogey One as soon as all units are aboard. Also, contact any emergency ships in the area and have them take the wounded off of the ship."

The bridge crew carried out their orders with their usual military precision immediately after Talia had given the order. Behind her, Gilbert said kindly, "Very impressive, Talia." Talia turned her chair about halfway around and eyed Gilbert quizzically. "I must say that this ship and its crew are exceeding my expectations by staggering numbers. I'm personally very impressed."

"Thank you, sir. But, unfortunately we won't be able to get you a ship to take you off in the short time we'll still be here. The hospital ships will only be able to take the wounded personnel that were brought on board from Armory One," Talia admitted.

Gilbert smiled. "That's all right. I'd love to have the opportunity to see you and your crew take part in battle as a matter of fact. If you don't mind…"

"Yes, sir."

Gilbert glanced to his right at Eileen and said, "What do you think?"

Eileen paused. "I think that we may have quite the little mess on our hands, Chairman."

Gilbert nodded. "So do I…so do I…"

Inside the cramped cockpit of the Exus, Neo came beside the swift _Girty Lue_. He noticed that Orga and the Night Calamity had also made their way back to the ship after his futile attempt to attack the _Minerva_ earlier. He stared back at the ZAFT warship, mobile suits, and Armory One that were now becoming smaller and smaller in the distance. He was particularly interested in the white one. When he had encountered that mobile suit, a strange sensation had overcome him. A feeling that he had known that person from somewhere before… For whatever reason, he had a feeling that this wouldn't be the last time he'd see him, or the others.

_-**Minerva, 1115.**_

"What?" The level of her voice could not compress Talia's shock.

"What's she doing on this ship?" Gilbert wondered out loud.

"I thought she was taken to one of the shelters on Armory One," Eileen added.

"Our data sources just confirmed it," Lunamaria's image said on the bridge's view screen. "One is confirmed to be Representative Cagalli Yula Athha of the Orb Union. She and her bodyguard boarded the ship during takeoff in a ZAKU. We detained them as per military standards. They requested medical attention and a meeting with Chairman Dullindal."

Talia bit her lower lip. "Did you take them to the Doctor?"

Lunamaria nodded. "Doctor Dullindal is seeing to her now in the medical bay."

Talia turned to Gilbert. "I don't think we're in a position to deny them a meeting now," he said. "If you don't mind, Talia…"

"By all means, Chairman." Talia turned back to face Lunamaria's image. "Have the doctor take them to briefing room number two. We'll join you momentarily."

"Yes, ma'am!"

After Lunamaria's image disappeared, Roland climbed back up to the upper half of the bridge. "Did I just hear that right?"

"Yes," Talia answered. "Chairman, sir…" she began, but Gilbert interrupted.

"I'd very much like you and the other officers to join me and Representative Canaver if you have the time, Captain," he said evenly. "Of course, if you have other obligations…"

"Not at all, Chairman," Talia said. "Roland, can you handle things on the bridge for the time being?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Before she left, Talia added, "Have Commander Bourdais join us as well as soon as he boards, Ensign Hawke." Meyrin nodded in acknowledgement.

The one-armed ZAKU was the last of the mobile suits to be taken aboard after the _Minerva_ had decreased her speed in order to bring them back on board. It turned around so that its back was facing the hangar as it zoomed through the opened hatch and into the closed space surrounded by gunmetal gray bulkheads and floodlights strung out all across the ceiling. "Commander Bourdais has returned. Emergency personnel and fire crews standby. Commence cooling of armor upon arrival." Several mechanical arms and limbs reached out to catch the purple and white ZAKU near the rear of the hangar and slowed its momentum enough to bring it to a complete stop. Once it was motionless, several hoses opened up and began spraying a mist-like substance all over the mobile suit's armor in an effort to cool it down to temperatures reasonable enough for the mechanics to work on it afterwards.

Brad turned off the mobile suit's systems and powered down its engines. He raised his visor and wiped a bead of sweat off of his forehead. _That was a little tougher than I thought it would be…_ he admitted to himself as he began to clamber out of the cockpit.

Rey's ZAKU and the Impulse had been brought back onto the ship before him and were already being serviced by the mechanics in the hangar. They had already begun to disassemble the Impulse on one of the lower decks into its separate parts so they could each be individually serviced. This was both an advantage and a disadvantage because while it would take less time to repair the Impulse in its separate pieces, it also meant that Shinn would have to launch his unit in that form whenever he went into battle which would present a challenge in future battles if they ever got hectic.

Lunamaria had returned to the hangar after escorting Cagalli and Athrun to the medical bay. She floated in the weightless, artificial air towards the mobile suits. Rey was already out of his cockpit when she arrived, while Vino and Yolant were already performing checks on his ZAKU. "How'd it go?" the pink-haired girl inquired.

"Not as well as we would have hoped," Rey admitted. "They got away."

A short distance away, Shinn could be seen floating out of the cockpit of the now disassembled Core Splendor. Lunamaria called his name, but Shinn ignored her. Instead, he just floated away towards the exit of the hangar and quickly disappeared. Lunamaria frowned and glanced at Rey. "You may want to leave him for a little while. I don't think he's going to take letting the stolen machines get away very well," Rey said. Lunamaria sighed, but, knowing Shinn, she admitted to herself that Rey was probably correct in his assessment.

Brad slinked out of his cockpit just as the mechanics began to secure his ZAKU against the bulkhead. "Nice work, Commander." Aves appeared beside him with two other mechanics.

"Thanks." Brad pointed to a spot below the ZAKU's torso. "I think the number two thruster blew out its ion drive when I got sucked out of Armory One."

"You two go look at it," Aves ordered. He reached into the pocket of his green jumpsuit and retrieved his now vibrating phone. "Yeah?"

"Chief Aves, are the mobile suits secure?" Talia's voice asked.

"It'll be about another twenty minutes before we can get all three of them fully locked down. As soon as that's done you can go."

"Move quickly! Bogey One is already out of sight and it would be helpful if we could at least maintain some sort of contact with them."

"We'll move quickly," Aves confirmed. His phone went dead and the conversation was promptly ended.

Brad pulled off his helmet and gloves before running his palm through his slick brown hair. He could feel the sweat on his palm that was resonating down his forehead and his entire body for that matter. His muscles ached and his eyes stung from the salt in his sweat. Brad merely shook his head. No matter how many times he went into battle, he would never get used to the constant wear and tear his body took and the pain that he felt after every one.

"Do you have any idea who they were?"

"Who's they?" Brad asked absent-mindedly.

"The pilots who stole the mobile suits. They couldn't be regular military personnel if they managed to break into one of our bases and steal our machines without giving away their identities," Aves said.

Brad harkened back to something he had seen earlier in the day. The blond girl who had rushed passed him outside of the tobacco store in town. She had been in a real hurry to get to wherever it was she was going. And that jeep she had gotten into along with the two others who were with her. The one being driven by the people in the ZAFT uniforms. It had been headed in the direction of the Armory One base…

"Commander Bourdais, report to briefing room number two at your convenience! Commander Bourdais, report to briefing room number two at your convenience!"

He sighed deeply at the announcement. The last thing he wanted right now was to have to face the Captain and probably the Chairman for that matter and explain what had happened on the battlefield in the past hour. Brad was never one for the proper terms of the military, which made him wonder why he ever accepted the promotion to officer's status in the first place. "Check her over and give her a good run through while I'm gone. I'll be back later, Chief!" he said before kicking off the deck and heading toward the exit. In regards to the civilians and the ZAFT soldiers, Brad thought, _hopefully I'll be able to put the pieces of this puzzle together before they're mixed up again._

Near the other end of the _Minerva_, in one of the white-stained rooms that normally served as the briefing room for the ship's normal personnel, while the number one room was used specifically for pilots and the bridge crew, Cagalli sat with her hands in her lap and her golden brown eyes trained forward. She felt the pressure on her forehead from the bandages that were being wrapped tightly around her cranium to stem the blood flowing out of the wound she'd suffered on the ground only a few hours before and grimaced when the wound began to sting when the pressure got to great.

"I'm sorry." Victoria paused in her movements. She was balanced on her knees beside Cagalli who sat on one of the room's red polyester couches while she applied the bandages and ointments to her head.

Cagalli managed a smile. "That's okay."

Athrun stood behind the women with his back against the sparkling white wall that would begin to hurt someone's eyes if they stared at it too long. Although he tried to stop himself, he couldn't stop staring at Cagalli and wondering whether or not he had made the right decision by getting into the mobile suit at Armory One. Granted, it probably had been the safest place to go at the time, but since Cagalli had gotten hurt in the process, he was now beginning to doubt his decision. The choice had also left him with an unwelcome burst of adrenaline. This had been the first time in over two years he'd been in the cockpit of a real mobile suit and although he wasn't about to admit it, the experience in battle had been full of adrenaline and had left his body aching for more, but had also left his mind with an endless feeling of self-doubt for having gotten into the cockpit in the first place after having once wished that he wouldn't have to again.

The door to the room opened with a quiet sigh. Athrun and the others watched as Gilbert led a five-person entourage into the room that included Eileen, who was walking side-by-side with Arthur, and Talia at the rear. Victoria sprang to her feet immediately and saluted her superiors. "Is the situation under control, Doctor?" Talia asked patiently.

"Yes, Captain. The evacuation craft have already taken off most of the wounded we brought with us from Armory One. I was just finishing tending to the Representative's injuries as we speak."

"Very good. Finish if you haven't already," Talia said with a sense of modesty and respect for what Victoria was doing.

While Arthur motioned for Gilbert and Eileen to sit across from Cagalli on another couch, Victoria snipped the end of the bandage and finished tying the white garment behind Cagalli's head. "I placed two stitches over the abrasion just as a precaution, but otherwise there shouldn't be anything to worry about," she said. As she packed up her equipment into her black bag, she added, "Just make sure to keep the pressure on it so the blood loss won't be as bad and change the bandages every eight hours."

"Thank you for everything, Doctor," Cagalli said in thanks. Victoria turned to Athrun who bowed in response.

"Captain!" Victoria said as she saluted Talia, who returned it. Without another word, Victoria left the room quietly and without fanfare.

Gilbert watched her go and his glance remained trained on the doorway even after several seconds had passed. "Is she your daughter?" Gilbert blinked. Cagalli repeated, "I noticed that you two had the same eye and hair color. Not to mention that I recall one of the pilots on this ship say her name was Dullindal."

Smiling, Gilbert nodded. "Yes. She is."

"The Chairman's son is also a member of the ship's bridge crew," Eileen added.

"That's enough," Gilbert said while maintaining his smile, raising his hand to silence Eileen. "I don't think getting into my personal life is the best interest at this time and place." From where they sat, neither he nor Eileen could see Talia and Arthur sharing a playful smile behind him.

Turning serious once again, Gilbert said, "I would like to apologize to you, Representative." Cagalli looked shocked by his words. "I don't have the words to express my regret for involving you in this situation."

"It's okay," Cagalli answered. "There wasn't anything you could have done. I also appreciate what your soldiers have done for us during this trying time, Captain." Talia nodded her head in agreement.

"However, Princess, please understand our situation," Gilbert continued. "At the moment, the _Minerva_ is in pursuit of the warship that stole our new mobile suits. We won't be able to transfer you off the ship for the time being, I'm afraid."

"Do you know anything about that enemy unit yet?" Cagalli asked.

"At this point…no. We still have little or no information, not even on their carrier. However, that's all the more reason why we must take control of the situation as soon as possible. Am I right, Representative Canaver?"

"Yes. Otherwise it will be too late for us to do anything," Eileen confirmed.

Cagalli nodded. "Is there anything I can do to help?" Gilbert raised an eyebrow. "I'm more than willing to offer my services if they're needed."

"Captain?" Gilbert glanced at Talia.

"We appreciate your concern, Representative, but at the moment the crew is doing everything they can to stabilize the situation. I'm afraid there's little that can be done at this point."

"Yes. But we still must do what we all can to avoid upsetting the still fragile state of the world," Cagalli said.

"I can say that we feel the same way, Representative," Gilbert added. "I knew that you would view the situation in that way."

The door chimed an instant later. "Bourdais here," came a voice on the other end.

"Enter," Talia said. From the hallway outside emerged a tall figure clad in a red and white ZAFT elite pilot suit with his helmet clutched under his right arm. His brown hair was shaggy and unruly with sideburns stretching down below his ears. His eyes were almost completely black; the only light a shiny glint where the light hit them.

He saluted. "Commander Bourdais reporting as ordered, Captain."

"Thank you, Commander," Talia said.

Gilbert ventured off of the conversation. "Allow me to introduce you to the _Minerva_'s air commander, Representative Athha." Brad hesitated and then bowed as Gilbert spoke. "Lieutenant Commander Bradley Bourdais. Perhaps you'd know him better as the Raven of Jachin Due." Brad visibly stiffened as he moved his upper half back to its full height. Cagalli didn't seem to be curious at all, but Gilbert noticed Athrun's startled expression behind her. "It seems you recognize the name..."

Athrun paused. Then he turned to glance at Brad. "Bradley Bourdais. The Raven of Jachin Due. The pilot that single handedly shot down fifteen enemy units at the Second Battle of Jachin Due. The lone survivor of the 7th mobile suit corp-"

"Chairman," Brad interrupted. He rubbed the gap between his eyes and nose with his index finger and thumb. "Not to be rude, but would you mind if we continue on with the matter at hand. I would prefer not to have my own individual characteristics to be brought up, especially now."

"I apologize, Commander," Gilbert said. "Captain, you have business to attend to with the Commander?"

"Yes, Chairman. What's the status of our units after the battle, Commander?" Talia demanded.

Brad paused and exhaled slowly through his nose. "At the moment…mine and Rey's ZAKUs sustained pretty significant damage during the last battle. Right now, the only mobile suits we have that can operate fully in battle are the Impulse and Lunamaria's ZAKU. Plus we have the four GuAIZ's that were brought aboard at Armory One before we deployed, but I'm not sure if we want to throw the rookie pilots out into this situation."

"What are we going to do, Captain?" Arthur asked. "With our mobile suit numbers depleted-"

"I know, Arthur." Talia was already moving away from the group towards a communication station located on the opposite wall. "Roland, this is Talia."

"Yes, Captain."

"How long will it be until we catch up with Bogey One?"

"Ensign Roske says approximately four hours…" Roland paused.

"What's the problem?"

"On our present course that will put us on the edge of the debris belt, Captain. I don't know if you want the _Minerva_ going that far, especially with the Chairman on board, or..."

"As long as we get within range, we'll do what we have to," Talia said quietly.

"Yes, ma'am."

As Talia signed off, Gilbert said to Cagalli, "Since we appear to have some time, Representative, if you'd like, I'd like to give you a tour of our ship while there's still time."

Talia stiffened behind Cagalli. "Mr. Chairman!"

Gilbert offered a polite smile. "Although it's temporary, we are asking them to put their lives in our hands. This is the least our nation can do for our allies, in good faith. Am I wrong?"

Talia paused. "Yes, sir." Arthur glanced to Gilbert's left at Eileen, who in turn was looking back at him. They each stared into each other's eyes for a few moments, as if they were each looking for some sort of reassurance about the situation. Eventually, Eileen smiled at him. It took a few seconds, but Arthur managed to return her smile with his own.

"Eileen, I would like you to remain on the bridge and keep track of the situation until we return," Gilbert said as he gingerly stood up. He offered Cagalli his hand and she took it. Brad quickly exited the room without another word, disappearing into the hallway before anyone had a chance to stop him.

"I'll have another of our crew join you, Chairman," Talia said as they made their way out of the briefing room and into the corridor.

"I appreciate that, Talia," Gilbert answered, drawing a curious glance from Talia. As she, Arthur, and Eileen took their leave, he turned back to Cagalli and Athrun and continued, "Where shall we begin. Why don't we start at the mess hall? I have a sneaking suspicion that you haven't eaten in quite some time, Representative."

_**-Girty Lue, 1330.**_

The neon green lights that shone through the transparent canopies of the recovery chambers were bright enough to disturb one's sight if they stared into it for too long. In Neo's case however, the infrared lenses in his mask were more than enough to shield him from the glow. He looked on eagerly, wanting to see for himself how well the new technology would work after on the pilots after a battle. At the moment, both Auel and Stella were fast asleep inside their respective chambers, curled up into little balls of flesh and muscle.

Orga stepped through the door to the facility with his hands on his temples, rubbing them with his fingers. He moved beside Neo who said, "You are still feeling the side effects?"

Orga snorted. "How am I not supposed to with how many pills they're making me take now?"

"You wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for those same pills, though," Neo pointed out.

"Yeah, I know." Orga had always had a frail body ever since he'd become one of the Earth Alliance's test subjects during the First Bloody Valentine War. Though he didn't voluntarily choose to become a soldier, he didn't have much of a choice after he murdered three people on the streets of his home city; he had been subjected to numerous mental and physical stimulants ever since becoming a pilot. Now an officer in the unit known as Phantom Pain, Orga still was feeling the sting of his injuries suffered when the X-09A Justice had cut his old machine, the X-131 Calamity in half during the Second Battle of Jachin Due. Fortunately, the cockpit had remained intact and Orga had been rescued shortly after the battle, though he barely alive. Now two years later, he had yet to fully recover and was still subjected to his daily drug injections in order to keep his body and mind in constant fighting form. "How long until the new mobile suits are ready to go?"

Neo glanced at him and said in a perplexed voice, "Why do you want to know?"

"Like you don't know," Orga chuckled. "You know full well that the ZAFT ship we encountered back there is going to come after us."

"Hmm. We have no indication that they are chasing us. How can you be certain?"

"You said it yourself. Always assume the worst on the battlefield. Plus, I've fought against these guys before. The Coordinators don't give up just because you damaged some of their toys and stole some other ones. They'll be back."

Neo smiled. "As soon as they're out of recovery, we'll be ready to go. I am a bit concerned about Stella though. Auel used her block word on her during the last battle. We haven't seen what will happen after that."

"They'll be ready. By the way, are you sure it's the right call to only keep Oakley in the chamber for a certain period of time? You didn't even erase his entire memory."

"There's a reason why I give Sting preferential treatment, Orga. I find him to be a more mature specimen than what we've seen in the past. He's intelligent and a cunning warrior on the battlefield. I've kept his memories of the last battle against the new mobile suit and warship in the hopes that it will give him an advantage in the future conflicts." Neo glanced back at Stella, who now looked more innocent than ever inside her chamber. "Not to mention that I need him to be a brother figure for those two. He's more capable of that than anyone."

Orga was already turning towards the door. "Well at least you got rid of the reason why he's here in the first place."

"That's why this group is much more attuned to battle than the last one. We can easily alter their perception of why they're here," Neo said.

Orga snorted. "I'm standing right here, dumb-ass." The door closed behind him with an arrogant sigh. Neo returned his gaze to the chambers just in time to see the canopies slide open to allow Auel and Stella access to the outside world once again. Auel was the first to rise. Stella took longer, but that was what Neo had expected. After all, Stella was the most delicate of the trio and her condition would be the closest monitored out of all of them. Neo would make sure that all three of the pilots would be at their best when it was time for battle.

In another part of the ship, in a secluded room, Sting stood cat-like in a combat crouch with his arms at right angles adjacent to his sides. His eyes were closed, his body angled toward a raised bag that was centered in the middle of the room. Sting inhaled calmly through his nose and had his mind think the purest thought he could find. His mind was back when he was a teenager in his homeland, with his two closest friends, in some park somewhere. After a long night of their usual rough housing, they had ended up on a grassy knoll in the middle of the park, staring up at the clear nighttime sky, watching the millions of stars blink at them from afar. That memory was precious to Sting, mainly because he could barely remember anything for some reason, but also because he didn't want to lose the memory of his friends and the good times they'd had when they were together. Another reminder was the four red hearts arrayed in a rectangle on the back of his right hand with the devilish face in the middle. It was this hand that sprang forward the instant his eyes blinked open and smashed into the bag with incredible force. Sting landed two more quick jabs with his left, then pivoted on his right leg and landed an upper cut to the rubber. He paused momentarily then unleashed a devastating right hook followed by a left upper cut that ripped the bag off of its tether and sent it crashing into the wall on the other side of the room. Sting clenched his hands into fists and brought them back to his sides. With one last quiet exhale, he bowed from the waist up towards the now slumped bag in front of him.

_**-Minerva, 1430.**_

The main hangar was still buzzing from the most recent action when Shinn returned to the confines. He sipped at a sweet concoction as he floated towards the pink ZAKU on the far side of the hangar. Beside it, mechanics were working feverishly to repair Rey's white ZAKU which had sustained pretty heavy damage during the last fight.

Lunamaria was standing on the open cockpit hatch of her machine when she noticed Shinn approaching. "Well, has somebody cooled down now?" she asked cheekily.

"What?" Shinn responded.

"Don't act like you don't know. You were mad that you let the stolen mobile suits get away during the last battle. That's why you stormed off without letting anyone talk to you." Lunamaria added, "So have you cooled down and gotten back to yourself?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Shinn said quickly. He peered into the cockpit of the ZAKU. "So what happened?"

"Yolant said one of my thrusters was burnt out after the hangar collapsed onto it. Otherwise it's okay now, so I'll be going out into battle with you once we catch up with Bogey One."

"Yeah, yeah. By the way," he said, glancing over his shoulder. "Do you know where that other ZAKU came from? It wasn't originally aboard the ship when I left."

She lowered her voice. "You mean you haven't heard?"

Shinn eyed her quizzically. "Heard what?"

"One of the people inside was Princess Cagalli Yula Athha."

Shinn stiffened. "Athha? Of _Orb_?"

"Uh-huh. I was surprised too. What are the odds of meeting the hero of a major war, here?" Shinn didn't answer. "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with the ZAKU?"

He shut his eyes and shook his head. "N-no. I was just curious about who was piloting it."

Lunamaria smiled. She turned to gaze in the green mobile suit's direction. "Actually, it seems that it was her escort piloting it. He said his name's Alex." Her voice took on a coy tone. "But…he could be _Athrun_." Shinn could not hide his surprise, or rather shock. "That's what the Representative called him in the heat of the moment. She called him Athrun." She looked at Shinn. "Athrun Zala. It's rumored he lives in Orb now, right?"

Shinn didn't hear her last sentence. The only thing he could hear was that name being tossed around inside his head. _Athrun…Zala…_

On the opposite side of the hangar, Brad was surrounded by the quartet of rookie pilots who had boarded the _Minerva_ along with their GuAIZ's before the ship had departed Armory One. "We'll be making contact with Bogey One in approximately one hour. Since our own mobile suit forces were depleted during the last battle, orders are to have you four deploy when we begin combat operations."

"We're going into battle, Commander?"

"That's right. At the moment Ensign za Burrel and myself are unable to launch due to our machine's being damaged. And apparently we can't take on an enemy carrier with just two mobile suits." Brad sighed. "I know this may be shocking to you, but you knew full well what you were getting into when you signed up to be pilots. Just remember your training and trust your instincts when you're out there. You'll receive further orders when we're briefed in a few minutes. Until then, get to your machines and make sure they're ready to go. Dismissed."

As the rookies turned to leave, Brad heard footsteps behind him. Aves didn't speak until the other pilots were out of sight. "Do you think it's wise to have them launch?"

Brad paused. He reached for his cigarette case and lit one. "If it was up to me they wouldn't even be here at all. Why they decided to put rookie pilots on this ship is beyond my comprehension." He took several puffs and blew a stream of white smoke out of his mouth. "Besides, Captain Gladys made the order, so I've got no choice but to follow it." He removed the cigarette from his mouth and held it between his fingers. "How's my ZAKU coming?"

"The cosmetic damage was no problem to fix and we have adequate parts to replace them. The problem is that all your thrusters were pretty much burned out last time. It'll be unlikely that we can get them running at full power again. If that happens you won't have very much maneuverability out there, so you're probably not going to set foot off the deck anytime soon, Commander." Brad sighed. _That's exactly what I didn't want to hear._

_**-Minerva, 1500.**_

Shinn and Lunamaria were still working on the latter's ZAKU when they heard Brad's voice call out from the other side of the hangar. "Lunamaria, Kid! Briefing in five, room number one!"

Lunamaria nodded in his direction. "Isn't Rey still with the Chairman?" she asked Shinn.

"I think so. He'll make his way there eventually, though. You know Rey," he said with a grin.

On the topside of the hangar, the entourage that included Gilbert, Cagalli, Athrun, and just recently Rey, arrived on the main lift that served the rest of the ship. "Think of this section as being the core of the ship," Gilbert said. "I am not at liberty to tell you how many the ship can hold, but the ship is not currently loaded to capacity." The doors slid open to reveal the vast, dark hangar that lay behind it. Athrun and Cagalli were in awe by its sheer size and mystique. Form where they stood they could see four ZAKUs, all in different colors: green, white, pink, and violet. There were also four GuAIZ's, plus the components of the mighty Impulse. It truly was an arsenal in itself.

Athrun had originally had some misgivings about coming to the hangar when the Chairman had first mentioned it, but since Cagalli had not objected, he had gone along silently. Now, he was beginning to regret his decision.

"I'm sure you're already aware of the ZGMF-1000, the ZAKU. And then there's the Impulse that utilizes the launch system arguably the main feature of the _Minerva_." Gilbert looked at Cagalli and added, "I understand you had a chance to see it at the factory."

By now, those closest to the lift could tell that the Chairman and the Orb Princess had arrived, including Shinn and Lunamaria who were the closest to them, which meant that they could easily hear every word that was being spoken. "Apparently, according to the scientists, this is an absolutely new, highly efficient mobile suit system, although I'm not too knowledgeable about the technical side of things. Am I right, Rey?"

"Yes," Rey answered simply.

When Cagalli didn't respond, Gilbert sighed. "I take it that the Princess does not much care for this."

"It's not that. You seem awfully happy about it, Mr. Chairman," Cagalli said.

Gilbert smiled. "It's not necessarily that I'm happy about it." He gazed out towards the hangar and it seemed as though his glance engulfed the entire facility itself. "The thing is, for everyone to work earnestly, starting from that chaos, to come this far and gain this much power-."

Cagalli interrupted. "Power…You said that power was necessary…because there will always be conflict, Mr. Chairman." Gilbert paused, but then nodded. "Then how do you explain what happened here?" Cagalli's voice was rising as she spoke.

Lunamaria was still listening earnestly when she noticed that Shinn was gone. She saw him heading away from her towards the exit. "The damage suffered by your nation as a result of just those three new mobile suits!"

"Representative," Athrun whispered behind her, trying to get Cagalli to calm down because her voice could now be heard throughout the entire hangar as it was reflecting off of the walls.

"So you're saying that's reason enough not to have any power?" Gilbert asked.

"Why are such things necessary in the first place?" Cagalli demanded. "Why now?" Down below, Shinn was still hearing every word that she spoke. It sank into his mind and clawed at him from the inside. His hands curled into fists and his eyes narrowed. "We made a pledge not to repeat the tragedies of the past! We were committed to following a path that we could proceed along hang in hand!"

"Well…however Princess…" Gilbert began again.

"Idealism has always been a specialty of the Athha's, hasn't it?!" Everyone in the hangar heard those words shouted from somewhere below. Cagalli glanced downward and saw a lone figure clad in red standing with his back to them. His head slowly turned toward them revealing a pair of deep red eyes that were seeming to boil with anger and hate. It made Cagalli shiver just to look into them.

"Shinn!" Rey called. He leapt from the gangway and headed down towards the other pilot, but by then Shinn was already heading through the doorway.

"Ugh, damn it! Rey go get him!" Brad ordered. "Make sure he makes it to the briefing room on time too!"

Vino turned towards Lunamaria who had made her way to the deck. "What's up with him?" Lunamaria shrugged her shoulders because she couldn't answer that question.

Rey turned toward Gilbert before he left and saluted. "I apologize, Mr. Chairman! He will be punished for his actions as soon as possible!"

Gilbert nodded. He turned to Cagalli. "I'm very sorry, Princess. He's an immigrant from Orb, so that was the last thing I expected to come out of him…"

Suddenly, a shrieking alarm began to sound throughout the entire ship. "Located enemy vessel. Distance 8000!" came Meyrin's voice over the intercom. "Condition Red announced! All pilots report to briefing room one immediately!"

"Hurry with the final checks! It's starting!" Aves shouted.

Brad turned to leave, but called out, "You'd be better off on the bridge, Mr. Chairman! It's gonna to get hectic down here in a minute!"

Gilbert smiled. "I think we'll take his advice. Shall we, Princess?" He gestured towards the doorway. Cagalli took one last look back at the doorway where the red-eyed pilot had been just moments before and sighed. She followed Gilbert toward the lift with Athrun right behind.

In another part of the ship, Ian gulped down the last of his coffee and bolted from his chair in the mess hall. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand to make sure there would be no stains on his face or uniform when he arrived on the bridge. "Ian!" He stopped when he heard the gentle voice call to him. Victoria floated beside her brother and said, "Dad's going to be on the bridge."

Ian frowned. "Yeah, what of it?"

"Please don't make a scene," she pleaded. "We're going into battle and the last thing this ship needs is to have a dysfunctional family getting into a quarrel on the bridge. Please…?"

He paused. "I won't guarantee anything," was his only response before he left for the bridge. Victoria watched him go and sighed sadly. This seemed to follow her wherever she went. Her brother would not even acknowledge their father and hadn't for at least five years. Not even as the Chairman. She still had no idea what had happened because Ian never bothered to tell her and she had decided not to pry. It still gnawed at her however and it tore at her heart to see it happen even today.

Shinn, now clad in his pilot suit, entered the briefing room with Rey right behind him. "I don't want to talk about it!" he exclaimed.

"Shinn!" Rey responded.

"What do you care anyway? It's none of your business what I think?"

"Kid, sit down and shut up!" Brad shouted as he entered the briefing room with Lunamaria and the other pilots. "You're gonna start a damn international incident if you keep talking shit like that!"

"Knock it off!" Roland interrupted. As the personnel coordinator and co-first mate, it was his responsibility to handle all briefings regarding combat. "Let's get this briefing started. We don't have much time."

Rey forced Shinn to sit down on one of the sofas between himself and Lunamaria while the rookie pilots sat in various spots around the room. Brad was the only one who remained standing. The lights began to dim and a three dimensional hologram began to take shape in the center of the room. As it settled, landmarks could easily be identified. The Earth, L4, and the debris belt. A small blue dot was used to represent the _Minerva_ while a red one was used to represent Bogey One.

Roland's deep, powerful voice spoke. "Bogey One has been located at a distance of 8000 heading directly toward the debris belt which encircles the Earth. It is believed that the purpose for this tactic is to lose itself in the debris so that we will not be able to track it once it enters the field. The _Minerva_ is the only ship that can prevent this and we have been given the task of stopping Bogey One and if possible, retrieving our stolen mobile suits." The map narrowed into a smaller field that included the _Minerva_, Bogey One, and smaller blue and red dots to symbolize mobile suits. "Your mission will be to delay Bogey One's advance into the debris field as much as possible to give the _Minerva _time to close the remaining distance. The _Minerva_ will then proceed into the outer edge of the debris belt and engage Bogey One at close range. Once that happens, your primary objective will be to engage and disable the enemy mobile suits, which based on our records indicate one Dagger L, one mobile armor of unknown type, one mobile suit of unknown type, and possibly even the three stolen machines. All rookie pilots are ordered to remain near the _Minerva_ at all times during the fight. If the situation calls for it, you are authorized to destroy the stolen mobile suits. Don't fly too deep into the debris. If you're machine is damaged and is forced deep inside the belt, the _Minerva_ will be unable to come after you due to the denseness of the debris, so stay as close to the main battle as possible without endangering yourself. Intercept Bogey One and engage the mobile suits that are on board the ship. Good luck."

_**-Girty Lue, 1515.**_

"Large heat source located at Yellow 50, Mark 82, Charlie! Distance 4000!"

"So they came, after all," Lee said calmly as the warning sirens began to blare. "You were right."

"Yeah. Well, it goes to show you that ZAFT aren't a bunch of sleepyheads." Neo typed something inside the keypad located on the armrest of his command chair. Three-dimensional images of the Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss appeared on the small screen with their schematics, which had been taken when they were analyzed earlier. "Luckily our force has been increased since the last battle. We're going to crush them! What's the distance to the debris belt?"

"2600, Colonel."

"Maintain this heading. All hands to battle stations! Pilots are to proceed to briefing room!" To Lee he added, "I'll send Orga out with Sting and the others. He'll handle the situation from there."

"Do you trust him, though?" Lee asked.

"Is there really another option at this point?" Neo put. "The Exus won't be ready for a little while longer and Orga is the only other one with enough battlefield experience. Helm! As soon as we are within range, head for that large asteroid to starboard. We'll wait there until the ZAFT show up."

"An ambush?" Lee asked.

"Whatever you wish to call it. Have the decoys ready, Lee."

"Yes, sir."

On the _Minerva_, Gilbert, Cagalli, and Athrun arrived at the base of the bridge tower and were now nearing the lift that would take them up to the bridge. "This ship is going into battle again, correct?" Athrun asked.

"By all accounts, I would assume so," Gilbert responded. "Apparently Bogey One has been sighted and now we must do our part to take back what was ours and end this conflict before it gets any worse."

Cagalli sighed next to Athrun. "Cagalli…" Athrun whispered. She glanced at him. He held his wrist up to her face and she eyed the watch on his wrist. "Shall I call them?"

She frowned. "Not now. The situation wouldn't be right." She followed Gilbert toward the lift with Athrun behind her. He didn't like where this situation was going one bit. In fact, it seemed all too familiar to him, but the memories of Heliopolis would have to wait for another time. What was going on in the present now demanded his attention. He boarded the lift and they headed up towards the bridge.

Up on the bridge, Roland had arrived from the briefing room and was the last of the bridge crew to take his position. Talia said, "Although I don't expect the enemy to deliberately proceed into the debris, this is a dangerous area to do battle in. Ensign Roske, we're counting on you."

"Yes, ma'am!" Felix answered.

"Bogey One has changed course, ma'am," Bart reported. "Green 55, Mark 41, Delta. Distance 6500!"

"They're running abreast of the debris field," Arthur summed up. "Just like you thought they would, Captain."

"According to the maps there are a lot of asteroids in this part of the debris," Talia said. "Be careful, helm."

Ahead, the hatch to the _Girty Lue_'s hangar opened slowly. Night Calamity was positioned ahead of the other three mobile suits on the catapult. "X-313, stand by for launch," came the order through Orga's helmet radio.

"We're fighting against that new model vessel?" Auel wondered out loud from the Abyss' cockpit.

"Yeah. I wonder if we'll see that combining fellow again," Sting added.

"Bet on it," Orga put in. "Knowing the Coordinators they'll come at us with everything they've got in this type of situation."

Auel chuckled. "Then this time we'll be sure to either break him apart or capture him!"

"Either way, this will be very interesting." Sting glanced behind him at the Gaia. "Stella?" Stella sat quietly inside the Gaia's cockpit. She called out Sting's name and he responded, "You okay?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"All units, prepare for launch." Orga was the first to go. The catapult sent Night Calamity soaring into the darkness beyond the hatch and it disappeared as its camouflage took effect once again. Auel followed him out of the starboard hatch in the Abyss while Chaos and Gaia launched out of the port hatch.

"Orga. Take the others and hide behind the debris at the designated point. Wait there until the signal is given," Neo ordered.

"Right."

"All pilots are to board their machines at once provided their machines have been cleared to operate in combat conditions." Shinn was already sprinting towards the Core Splendor when the announcement sounded. Yolant stood on the starboard wing and helped secure him inside. Shinn gave him thumbs up before he pressed the release button on the canopy which closed shortly thereafter.

From inside her own machine, Lunamaria radioed, "My record isn't that great in debris field battles."

"Don't worry about it," Shinn answered, trying to be reassuring. "The enemy will have noticed us by now. Stay alert."

"I know! You're starting to sound like Rey! It's throwing me off!"

Unbeknownst to anyone else at this point, Brad had slipped into the cockpit of his ZAKU and was now powering up his mobile suit's systems. It wasn't until he flipped the switch to the radio that his secret was revealed. "Commander? What are you-?"

"Tell Aves to get a weapons pack ready. I'm launching too."

"Commander! You're machine hasn't been cleared to go into combat!" Talia reprimanded him. Brad glanced down at Talia's image. She looked angry to say the least.

"I know that Captain. But I can't let the rookies go out into battle without a Commander. They're too green to know what to do when the battle starts." Talia frowned. "I'm not questioning your judgment, ma'am. It would be more beneficial to the rookies if I was out there, though."

"Captain!" Rey's face appeared beside Brad's on Talia's personal view screen. "We don't know the total number of mobile suits the enemy has sent out. It would be to our advantage if we had as many machines in combat as we could."

Sighing painfully, Talia eventually consented. "Be careful, Commander." With that, the conversation was promptly ended.

Talia still didn't appear to be in a cheerful mood even after it had ended. With the Chairman on board as well as the Orb Princess, not to mention the chaotic battle that had taken place a mere four hours earlier, she had tried to maintain the control over the ship as she was supposed to have. However, she had felt the tug of authority from all directions during the last few hours and it was beginning to drain her. She took a deep breath and leaned back in her chair. She had to remain calm and collected, especially now. It would do no one any good for her to lose her composure now. She had to remain fixed on what was in front of her. And at this point, that was Bogey One, the stolen mobile suits, and the battle.

The bridge doors swung open behind her in order to admit Gilbert, Cagalli, and Athrun. Talia swung her chair around to face them. "Mr. Chairman!"

"May I have a word, Captain. I'd like to invite our guests from Orb to join us on the bridge."

"Huh…but that's…" Talia stammered. Both Arthur and Roland looked uneasy as well.

Gilbert added, "As you're well aware, the Representative took command of a battleship during the previous war and has experienced many battles. More than even myself, in fact. I'd like to have her perspective as she observes our combat methods."

Talia paused. "Very well. If that's how you feel, Mr. Chairman."

"Thank you, Talia." Gilbert took his seat next to Eileen on the right hand side of the bridge while Athrun and Cagalli took seats to the left side. Gilbert spoke quietly to Eileen. "Has it begun?"

Eileen nodded slowly. "So it appears."

"Distance to Bogey One, Ensign?" Talia asked.

"5000 and closing, ma'am," Bart answered.

"They're going to be moving into the asteroids if they're smart," Arthur summed up. "That would be the best way to hide themselves."

"They know they can't beat us head on. Their best bet would be to try something tricky," Talia said analytically. "Don't lose them, CIC!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Does this ship have weapons capable enough to blast through solid asteroids?" Gilbert asked.

"Ensign Dullindal?" Talia demanded.

Gilbert glanced in Ian's direction. Ian's only reply was a dry, "If the Taunhauser gets a clean shot, then there won't be a problem." He didn't even look in Gilbert's direction when he spoke. Gilbert sighed quietly and shut his eyes. Cagalli and Athrun both noticed this. Both of them had the exact same expression on their faces. _That's his _son?

Shinn finished booting the rest of the Core Splendor's operating systems just as the movement from the catapult lift began to resonate through the plane. "Core Splendor, proceed to main catapult." Shinn sealed his visor just as the lift clanked into place at the edge of the catapult. "Prepare for launch." The main hatch slowly opened with a metallic sigh.

Shinn increased his throttle and released the brakes. "Shinn Asuka! Core Splendor, launching!" He was thrown back into his seat as the Core Splendor surged forward with incredible force. Shinn pulled back on the control stick and guided the Core Splendor out of the hangar and out into space.

"Deploy Force Silhouette Flyer!" Meyrin called. In quick succession, the Force Silhouette, Chest Flyer, and Leg Flyer all followed the Core Splendor out of the hatch. Shinn used his laser guidance system to link up with all the pieces and formed the Impulse, this time with its red backpack known as the Force Silhouette which would give him more maneuverability in combat. As soon as he locked the pieces into place, he activated his phase shift armor, turning the Impulse into its standard red, white, and blue colors and headed toward battle.

Lunamaria's ZAKU was next to go, once the long range weapons pack was strapped to her mobile suit's back. "Lunamaria Hawke! ZAKU, I'm taking off!"

Brad followed shortly thereafter. He adjusted his sensors and found that his thrusters were only operating at about sixty percent their usual output. He would have to keep an eye on that during the battle. "Bourdais, ZAKU heading out!" The four GuAIZ pilots were the last to go, making a grand total of seven mobile suits in the ZAFT force.

"Confirmed launch of mobile suits from the ZAFT warship," one of the _Girty Lue_'s bridge crew reported.

"How many?" Neo asked.

"Seven mobile suits. One unknown, two ZAKUs, and four GuAIZ models."

"One of their ZAKU's is still probably too damaged from the last fight," Lee pointed out.

"You're probably right. But that doesn't mean we won't see it at all," Neo said. He glanced at his sensor board and watched as the blips that were the ZAFT warship and mobile suits slowly closed in. "Prepare the decoy, Lee."

"Input target data. Deploy decoy once we reach point A. Mark 20 seconds and counting!" Neo waited patiently as the seconds ticked past. Once the time was right, Lee gave the order and the _Girty Lue_ launched its decoy, a heated projectile that was traveling perpendicular to the ship's current course around the largest asteroid in the group. Hopefully, if this worked, they would have the clear advantage in the upcoming fight.

Sting watched the bright light begin to gradually pull away from the disappearing form of the _Girty Lue_. "Get ready, you guys. It's going to start soon."

"Can you see the ship?" Auel asked.

"Don't worry about it," Orga interjected. "Just wait for the signal. Stella. You'll be with me. Sting and Auel, you two attack from the other side when the time comes."

The _Girty Lue_ has disappeared from the _Minerva_'s sensors due to the asteroids. "Bogey One has taken refuge behind the asteroids, Captain."

"Keep looking for it," Talia ordered. "Then can't have gone too far."

For the next few moments, nothing was said. The only thing that could be heard was the occasional sound from one of the computer consoles. Other than that, no one said a word.

Athrun fixed his eyes on the view screen that was hanging from the bridge's ceiling. It showed a thermal image of the area directly ahead of the _Minerva_, including the path where the other warship had taken just a few moments before, until it disappeared behind the asteroids.

"Bogey One." Gilbert whispered those words with a serene tranquility. "I wonder what that ship's real name is." Athrun sighed. _Real name_. "The name of a thing is an indicator of its existence." As he continued to speak, the eyes of several of the bridge crew, including Talia, Arthur, and Eileen, fixated on Gilbert's figure. "Then what if the name is not real?" Athrun glanced at Gilbert and saw him doing the exact same to him. "If it's not real…would that mean…its existence is not real either? Is that what it would mean? Alex? Or rather…Athrun Zala?" Athrun froze. Cagalli's mouth went aghast and her eyes widened just slightly. Talia and Arthur both looked startled, but not shocked.

Before this could go on for any further length of time, Bart said, "Heat source detected at yellow 63, mark 42, bravo. Believed to be a warship engine."

Inside the Impulse, Shinn too was receiving the same readers from his diagnostics. "Got it!" The Impulse surged forward ahead of the other mobile suits. Shinn wouldn't let anyone stop him from getting to the stolen machines this time.

"Shinn wait!" Lunamaria called. She followed Impulse towards the other side of the large asteroid where the heat source was headed.

"Stay alert, you guys," Brad warned the pilots with him. Ahead, Impulse was traveling at high speed towards the heat source. The chunks of rock and space debris zipped past Shinn's cockpit so fast that sometimes he didn't notice them until they were right next to him. The heat source was getting closer and closer. But something didn't feel right for some reason. If the heat source was the warship, wouldn't he have seen it by now…?

"Shinn, watch out!" Lunamaria's warning came almost too late. Shinn darted to his left just before the laser blast caught the asteroid and blew off a large portion of rock. Shinn craned his neck upwards and saw two silhouettes coming towards him fast.

Chaos detached both of its gun barrels and started towards the Impulse from the right, while Auel spread the Abyss' backpack and fired all of his guns under his arms. Shinn managed to dodge all of the shots and even managed to get in a few retaliatory shots before he lost sight of the two mobile suits. "Auel, you missed him!" Sting shouted. "He was standing right in front of you!"

"Shut up and get him!" Auel retorted. He emerged from behind a destroyed piece of metal and fired his chest cannon at Impulse. Shinn dodged the attack, but before he could fire back he was forced into evasive maneuvers by both of Chaos' barrels which had appeared from behind, their guns blazing. Shinn ducked behind a piece of rock and stopped momentarily to catch his breathe and gather his thoughts.

"A decoy…?" he murmured. "_Minerva_, the heat source is a decoy! Watch out!" he shouted quickly.

"What was that?" Talia demanded.

"It's a decoy!" Athrun shouted.

"Decoy? Ugh…damn it! They're probably-!" The ship was suddenly jolted by an impact from an unknown direction. The bridge shook violently and everyone struggled to keep themselves in their seats. "-right behind us," Roland finished gruffly.

"Bogey One detected at orange 15, mark 53, Charlie, ma'am!" Bart called. "They're right on top us!"

"It was a trap and we walked right into it," Arthur said bleakly.

"Calm down!" Talia ordered. "Roll starboard ten degrees and increase bow twenty! Activate CIWS and Tristans! Locate Bogey One and target the ship immediately!"

From the bridge of the _Girty Lue_, Neo smiled. His coy had worked. By anchoring the _Girty _Lue to the large asteroid, they had been able to hold position for a designated period of time before making the turn back around the asteroid. The enemy warship had walked right into the trap he'd set with the decoy and now they were sitting ducks. They had already pushed into the debris field and now were entering a dangerous area with many asteroids and other junk. If he and his pilots played this right, they would be able to finish off the warship here and now.

Lunamaria had gone ahead to help Shinn while Brad stayed back with the GuAIZ pilots. "What do we do, Commander?" one of them asked, his voice filled with excitement and anticipation.

"Take it easy, boys," Brad advised. His eyes were darting every which way. So far there had only been two enemy mobile suits, but based on Brad's own accounts, there should be four. Where were the other two? Suddenly, the asteroid next to Brad exploded, sending a shower of rock and debris in their direction. The next thing Brad heard was a blur of static, as one of the radios for the GuAIZ's went silent and the mobile suit disappeared in a ball of fire. Brad finally was able to locate the threat. As he had predicted, there were two more mobile suits closing fast. One was the camouflaged fellow he'd encountered outside Armory One and the other was the black and yellow machine he'd fought against as well. "Everybody scatter!"

Orga fired his Schlag cannons towards the entourage of smaller mobile suits. He repeated the process while Stella added her own fire to the mix, along with a battle cry which Orga was more than happy to hear. A well-placed shot from his guns caught another GuAIZ in the torso and destroyed it instantly. "Take your time, Stella," Orga said calmly. He pulled back on the throttle and allowed Stella to take the lead. "These guys won't give us any trouble if we play our cards right." He fired his chest cannon at a chunk of debris and the blast went straight through the substance, tearing apart the third GuAIZ which had tried to take shelter behind it.

An onslaught of laser cannon fire tore past Shinn as he darted towards a large piece of debris that was somewhat hollowed out on the inside. "That won't save you!" Auel called. He fired his chest cannon and blasted away a large piece of the debris, but missed the Impulse entirely. Shinn took advantage and used the debris as a shield so he could get off a few shots with his beam rifle at close range. Although none of the shots managed to hit the Abyss, Shinn was able to buy himself some time to change his position and give him a better perspective on what was happening.

Lunamaria meanwhile had been surrounded by both of Chaos' gun barrels and was now dodging madly in order to keep herself in one piece. Sting retracted his gun barrels and brought his rifle to bear while keeping his mobile suit in motion throughout. Lunamaria halted momentarily to get a good bearing with her long-range rifle before letting loose with a blast that narrowly missed the Chaos and instead blew apart a chunk of debris behind it. Lunamaria grunted and had to jump to avoid Chaos' next attack. They had come at them so fast that they weren't giving Shinn or herself a chance to counterattack. Whoever these guys were, they definitely knew what they were doing.

The _Minerva_ was being pushed further and further into the debris field as _Girty Lue_ closed in from behind. "As soon as its ready have the Exus and our remaining Dagger readied for takeoff," Neo told Lee.

"Fire missile launchers five through eight! Aim main cannon at enemy battleship!" Lee ordered.

A stream of missiles was now streaking towards the _Minerva_ as the ZAFT ship tried to get into a clearing in which they could counterattack. "Fire anti-beam depth charges!" Talia commanded. "30 to starboard! Aim Tristans now!"

"We can't do it!" Ian reported. "If we fire the guns now, it'll take that asteroid down along with the missiles and we'll be crushed!"

The _Minerva_ shook once again as the _Girty Lue_'s main guns hit the asteroid and sent chunks of rock tumbling down towards the ship. "Bulkheads twenty-seven through thirty-one have been hit! Sealing them off now!" Meyrin reported.

"They're pushing us further into the debris field," Arthur assessed, "That means they're going to-"

"They'll try to box us in behind the asteroid, you're right," Roland finished. "Unless we do something fast, that's exactly what's going to happen."

Cagalli sighed uneasily in her seat. Athrun noticed this, despite all of the hectic calls coming into the bridge. "Cagalli…" he whispered to her. Cagalli glanced at him, then at his wrist as he thrust his watch towards her. She bit her lower lip and didn't respond. They had been told it was only as a last resort. That didn't mean…

"Incoming missiles!" The _Minerva_'s CIWS guns were able to take out most of the missiles that were coming towards them from behind, but several managed to get through and punched holes into the asteroid, sending more rocks flying towards them.

Night Calamity positioned itself behind a piece of floating debris and waited patiently. Orga glanced at his diagnostics and saw exactly what he expected. It was that purple and white ZAKU he'd met at the PLANT earlier. Apparently he hadn't damaged it as badly as he thought he had. Oh well, if he was back for more, Orga was more than willing to give it to him.

Ducking out from behind the debris, Orga fired a quick shot with his bazooka. The shot blew apart a piece of debris, showering the sole remaining GuAIZ with debris. Before the rookie pilot knew what had hit him, the Night Calamity was right in front of him, its bazooka trained right on his cockpit. The pilot didn't even have time to scream before his cockpit was torn to pieces by the following blast.

Brad heard the static fill the radio and scowled. His eyes narrowed as he eyed the Night Calamity. In only five minutes, all four of the rookie pilots had been killed right before his eyes. Anger was welling up inside of him, boiling hot as his hands gripped his controls. He couldn't take it. It was like Jachin Due all over again…

Orga's diagnostic board warned him in time and he jumped out of the way just as the ZAKU Warrior swung at him with its beam axe, and then fired its shoulder guns at him as he evaded. "Finally," Orga said to himself. "Now I can have a little fun." Night Calamity fired its Schlag cannons. Brad managed to evade the attack, but he noticed that Aves' assessment had been correct. His thrusters indeed were operating well below their normal capacity and that effectively cut his maneuverability and speed by a good thirty percent. He saw the camouflaged mobile suit dart behind the asteroid.

"Get your ass back here!" Brad shouted angrily as he charged after Orga.

Orga eyed his board and watched the ZAKU follow him. _Odd…have I fought this guy somewhere before…? Nah! This is too much fun to worry about that._ Orga turned his mobile suit suddenly and fired his chest cannon. Brad jumped up above the blast and fired his own guns again, forcing Orga to dodge. "You wanna fight that badly punk? Okay! Let's fight!" Orga shouted.

"Felix! Use the asteroid's surface features to protect us from any direct hits!" Talia quickly picked up the phone connected to her chair and shouted, "Aves, is Rey ready to launch yet?"

"Not yet," came the reply. "The area's too confined to launch him with the catapult anyway!"

Talia frowned. "Arthur, counterattack!"

"It's impossible. There's too much debris blocking our field of view."

"A lot of our port side weapons were destroyed during the last attack, ma'am," Ian added. "The starboard weapons are ineffective with that asteroid next to us!"

"Captain! The further we go into the debris, the less we'll be able to maneuver," Felix said. His eyes widened as something large and domineering appeared directly in front of the _Minerva_. "And unless we get our weapons back online, I seriously doubt we can punch through that piece of shit." Another asteroid had appeared in front of the _Minerva_ and now she was effectively boxed in, with the larger asteroid to her right and a mess of debris chunks to her left from the _Girty Lue_'s earlier attack.

"Can you not maneuver at all?" Talia asked.

"Not without risking severe damage to the ship," Felix reported. "Even if we slow down, we're not going to be able to do much of anything in this position."

Talia sighed dejectedly. "Meyrin, where's Bogey One?"

"Red 78, delta, ma'am. They're closing fast and they'll be right behind us in a matter of moments!"

"Call back Impulse and the ZAKU's!"

"They're already in battle with Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss!" Meyrin added. "We've lost the signals on all four GuAIZ units too!" she added with an edge of shock to her voice.

Talia hissed as she took in all the information that had just come in. The _Minerva_ couldn't move and was a sitting duck with half of her weapons out of commission. Bogey One would be right behind them in a matter of moments. All of their mobile suits were preoccupied with their own problems. Not to mention that the Chairman, a Supreme Council Representative, and the Orb Princess were on board the _Minerva_. The situation was grave and she knew it.

"Talia," Gilbert said patiently, but with an edge added to it. "What are you going to do?"

"What we were trained to do," Talia said quietly after a pause. "We'll continue fighting until they shoot us down!"

Athrun narrowed his eyes and frowned. This sounded all too familiar to him. There had been countless soldiers who had indeed gone down fighting during the last war and it sickened him to even think about it now. Although he'd only been on board the ship for a short while, he had no desire to see any of these men and women who had been fighting so bravely in just their first day of combat die. And if he could do something to prevent it, he was going to do it. He glanced at Cagalli, who was already glancing back at him. He whispered her name, this time adding emphasis to it. Cagalli once again paused. Finally, she gave a slow nod. Athrun nodded in return. He had known Cagalli long enough to know exactly what she was thinking. She too had no desire to see these people die this quickly. Athrun brought his watch close to his face and punched in a sequence of numbers that would be transmitted to a source that would hopefully be able to put an end to the fight, or at least keep some people from dying needlessly. At least, that's what he hoped would happen.

Abyss raced beneath a piece of debris as Shinn tried to keep him in sight for his beam rifle. Auel however, was too fast and Shinn lost him. "You'll have to do better than that!" Auel fired from concealment and Shinn cried out as one of the shots passed dangerously close to the Impulse, searing the metal on his machine's left arm. Shinn didn't have time to contemplate though. He immediately soared upwards as Chaos' gun barrels had him trained in their sights.

"Keep it up!" Sting said with a rush of adrenaline in his voice. "We've got the bastards on the run!"

Orga and Brad had brought their fight to where the others were and they too had become locked in a hit-me-if-you-can game in the midst of the debris field. Orga fired a quick succession of shots at the multi-colored ZAKU, but Brad dodged all of them.

Stella had managed to find Lunamaria and was now locked in a duel with the other female pilot. "You won't defeat me!" Lunamaria cried as she took aim with her rifle. She fired at Gaia, but the shot missed to the left. Stella took advantage, transforming her mobile suit so that it could run on the piece of debris beneath her. She ran through the dust and smoke that Lunamaria's blast had created and jumped toward the pink ZAKU, slamming into it with her mobile suit's head. Lunamaria was knocked backwards, cursing Stella as she flew. Stella transformed back into humanoid form and took aim with her guns.

"Lunamaria move!" Brad's voice called over the radio. Lunamaria glanced to her left just in time to see a battle axe zoom past her cockpit. It lodged itself in a mesh of metal and cable, but soon the cable became separated from the rest of the pile. Lunamaria noticed that it was connected to a larger piece of debris above her that was now…

Lunamaria cried as she moved her ZAKU out of the way from the falling piece of debris. Stella saw it too late and was frozen as she watched the wall of metal collapsing onto her. "Stella!" Chaos raced in and scooped Gaia off its feet just before the debris came crashing down on where she had just been. "Be more careful okay!" Sting shouted at her. Stella didn't answer.

"You okay, Lunamaria?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she told Brad. "Where's Shinn?"

"He's busy. But if something doesn't happen soon, we're all going to be in real trouble."

On the other side of the asteroid, the _Girty Lue_ slowly rounded the axis until it caught sight of the powerful engines of the _Minerva_. "Enemy warship in sight, Colonel," the helm reported.

Neo smiled. _Got you_. "Lee, whenever you're ready."

Lee smiled as well. "Main cannons, f-!" He didn't get the chance to finish the sentence as the _Girty Lue_ was suddenly shaken by something. "What the-?" Lee shouted.

"Did something hit us?" Neo wondered out loud. "An asteroid?"

"Colonel! Heat source detected at green 38, bravo. It's another warship!"

The _Minerva_'s bridge was eerily silent all of sudden. Meyrin's console had blared a warning just moments before. "What did you say?" Talia asked again.

"Another heat source detected directly port to us, Captain! Confirmed to be a warship engine!"

Outside, Shinn and the others had seen the blast and were immediately frozen by what they saw. "Where'd that come from…?" Lunamaria murmured.

"Mirage Colloid?" Sting said through his own radio.

"What is it…?" Auel said quietly.

Shinn, Brad, Stella, and Orga said nothing. All they could do was watch.

"Contact confirmed! An Orb _Izumo_-class battleship! Library confirms its identity as the _Kusanagi_!" Indeed, the blue and white battleship, with claw shaped manifolds at her bow, had appeared from nowhere on the other side of the debris cluster that the battle was taking place in. No one on the bridge said another word. Talia slowly rotated her chair towards Cagalli. Gilbert and Eileen were both watching from their own seats. Cagalli said nothing as well. But she knew, eventually, that if they got out of this alive, she would have a lot of explaining to do.

**END PHASE-03.**


	5. Phase 04 Stardust Battlefield

**PHASE-04 Stardust Battlefield**

_**-Debris Belt, October 2, C.E. 73, 1545.**_

Shinn barrel rolled the Impulse several times as lances of laser fire blazed past him, narrowly missing his mobile suit. Both of Chaos' gun barrels had him trained in their sights and had been in pursuit for the last few moments. Sting however, kept the Chaos' main body out of the Impulse's line of sight, so that he could concentrate on attacking without having to worry about being attacked himself.

Using a piece of debris as a shield, Shinn was able to withstand several of the barrels' attacks and allow himself the time to launch his own counterattack. He fired several rounds from his rifle's carbine, which drove away the two barrels.

"Shinn!" Lunamaria's warning came just before the shots from the Abyss' chest cannon bore into the debris the Impulse had just been floating next to.

Auel cursed himself. "How does he keep staying alive?"

"Auel!" Sting brought the Chaos beside Abyss immediately after retrieving his gun barrels. "Did you get him?"

"No. Though, it's not as if I'd want him as a trophy."

"Yeah…where's Stella?" Sting asked.

"She's someone out here," Auel answered. "She can take care of herself."

"Yeah, sure. But just to be safe, let's take this guy out before he can do any damage to us."

"I'm right with you on that," Auel admitted. They separated at that point, going off in different directions in order to search out the Impulse.

In another sector of the debris, Lunamaria had managed to buy herself some time by ducking into a narrow crevice between two of the larger pieces. From her current position, she could see the larger picture of the battle going on below her. From out of nowhere, the third warship had appeared on the far side of the asteroid group. Lunamaria guessed that it had been hiding behind a Mirage Colloid mechanism. Had it been there this entire time and had just now decided to reveal itself?

Another question arose; why was it here? As if to answer that very question, Lunamaria saw the warship begin to reposition itself. Its engines roared to life and the ship began to rotate around an asteroid. Its course appeared to be putting it in between the _Minerva_ and the now pursuing Bogey One, though not directly. Another fact that puzzled Lunamaria was that none of the warship's weapons had been activated at this point, other than the first shot that had stunned the entire battlefield. Lunamaria began to see what was happening. The Orb Princess was aboard the _Minerva_. If this ship was part of the Orb Space Fleet, it would then have a duty to protect her, even if it meant sticking its own neck into a battle between two other forces.

"Found you!" Lunamaria craned her neck upwards and gasped in surprise as Stella jumped down from her perch on top of one of the pieces of debris. Lunamaria managed to squeeze out and get away just before Gaia's subsequent attack struck.

Lunamaria scowled. "Don't you ever quit?" She readjusted the calibration on her long-range rifle and fired a single shot that didn't even come close to hitting Gaia. Stella charged again, her voice howling as she raced towards the pink ZAKU. Lunamaria managed to dodge the attack, but was forced into evasive maneuvers again due to Stella's relentless onslaught.

Meanwhile, inside the _Girty Lue_'s hangar bay, Neo slid silently into the cockpit of the repaired Exus. "Lee, what's the situation?" he demanded.

"Nothing new to report, Colonel. The unidentified vessel hasn't made any movement toward us at all. They appear to be set on holding their current position."

_I think I'm beginning to understand what's happening here,_ Neo thought. "Have Miller launch right after me," he ordered.

"What are you going to do?" Lee asked suspiciously.

"Exactly what I'm supposed to do," was Neo's answer. As soon as the board indicated it was safe for takeoff, the catapult engaged and launched the Exus into the conflict. Neo turned on his targeting bracket and the circles began to revolve around the battlefield logos on his board. _The stories say that pirates will always protect their treasure, even after it's been buried. If that ship is what I think it is, then there's a particularly valuable treasure on board that warship._

Ahead, the _Minerva_ was still moving forward, albeit at a snail's pace when compared to her usual speeds, further into the asteroid group and further into dangerous space. "Detecting missile launch from stern! Six missiles incoming!" Bart warned.

"Intercept!" Talia shouted.

"Nienhardts, fire!" Arthur ordered. Missiles raced out of the _Minerva_'s launcher tubes, seeking out the missiles the _Girty Lue_ had just fired at her. Four of the missiles were vaporized by _Minerva_'s own retaliatory strike, while the last two were destroyed by CIWS fire from the port side of the _Kusanagi_.

"What's the _Izumo_-class doing?" Talia demanded.

"It's still at yellow 32, mark 28, Charlie, ma'am!" Meyrin said. "It looks like it's moving…backwards…"

"Backwards?" Arthur wondered out loud.

"They're making sure they keep Bogey One ahead of them so they can't make any surprise moves," Talia assessed quietly. "Whoever's in charge of that ship clearly doesn't want this ship to be destroyed."

"It's almost as if they're here to protect us…" Roland added. "Or is it…someone…?" he said, stretching his words out as he did so, and slowly moved his glance to take in Cagalli's form sitting near the rear of the bridge.

Cagalli didn't respond. All she did was merely avoid eye contact with anyone. Athrun couldn't blame her, for now, every eye on the _Minerva_'s bridge, with the exception of Felix who was steering the ship, was now trained on her. "Have they been following us this entire time, Representative?" Talia inquired. Cagalli bit her lower lip and shrugged ever so slightly.

"Talia…" Gilbert said quietly, almost as a warning.

"I'm not as angry as I am surprised," Talia continued. "I'm just wondering why, if that ship has been with us the entire time, they didn't show themselves until now?"

Cagalli finally opened her mouth to respond, but never got the chance. "They're sole purpose here is to ensure the Representative's safety," Athrun interrupted. "It was a precaution the Orb military felt they had to take. They didn't want her coming all the way out here with just one bodyguard." He inclined his head behind him, in the direction the _Kusanagi_ currently was positioned relative to the bridge. "The orders they're currently under state that they aren't to reveal themselves unless they feel the Representative's life is in danger."

There was silence for a few moments. Then Talia broke it. "Where's Bogey One relative to our position?"

"Distance 2500 to stern, Captain!" Bart said. "At this speed they'll be right on us in a few moments."

"Felix, try to find a way out of here without damaging the _Minerva_ too badly."

"With all the asteroids around us, that's going to be next to impossible, Captain," Felix admitted.

"Do your best," Talia said. "Ian, can you blow us a hole somewhere?"

"We'll be crushed by the scattering rocks. Plus, our starboard weapons are useless with that asteroid to our starboard side," Ian said.

Talia hissed angrily. Roland interjected. "Our best option would probably be to continue on our present course and see if we can find our own way out of here, Captain. It's the only option we have right now that won't involve us hurting ourselves in the process."

"We can't contact Shinn and the others in this position," Arthur put in. "At this point, we're on our own, Captain."

Talia nodded. "Very well. Maintain this course Felix, but be extra careful. Arthur, Ian! Keep Bogey One off us as long as possible!"

As both Arthur and Roland barked out orders in support of Talia's edict, Athrun leaned back in his chair and sighed heavily. "Don't worry." Athrun glanced at Eileen, who was smiling supportively. "I'm sure they all understand the situation and why you did what you did. I can assure you that no one will be upset after all this is over."

"Yes. In fact, your decision may have in fact be proven to have saved us in the future, Athrun," Gilbert added. Athrun frowned. Gilbert merely smiled in return. "I didn't mean any malice in what I said. I feel that it means more to both individuals if they speak to the real person in each of them. That was all I meant, Athrun."

"It's Alex," Athrun said, refusing to give up his denial. Gilbert continued smiling, even as the _Minerva_ began to rattle once again as it moved further inside the cluster.

_**-Minerva, 1550.**_

Vino poked his head out of the cockpit of the white ZAKU Phantom. "It's finally set, Rey!"

"Thanks." Vino nearly jumped out of his own skin when he realized Rey was already behind him. After clambering into the cockpit, Rey contacted Aves. "Open the hatch, Chief."

"Right. Captain, this is Aves."

"Is Rey finally ready?" Talia asked calmly.

"Yeah, we've got his ZAKU fixed _enough_, though I don't know if it'll perform up to top standards. Besides, how are we going to launch him in this small of a space?"

"Walk him out if you have to, just make sure he gets out there," Talia ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!" Aves waved to the men behind him. "Open the hatch and seal the magnetic containment field. Rey, you'll have to get to the edge of the catapult and launch from there. We can't engage the catapult with this many asteroids around."

"That's fine. I can handle it," Rey responded.

After his mobile suit had been equipped with its weapons pack, Rey slowly made his way to the very edge of the _Minerva_'s main catapult hatch. When he confirmed that it was safe to, he gently lifted off of the deck and slinked he way through the asteroids until he found enough of a gap to accelerate and finally headed toward the ongoing fight between the other mobile suits.

Neo meanwhile, had found a relatively safe spot within the debris and had anchored the Exus to a large piece of metal so that he could observe what was happening around him. Sting's team was still engaged with the pink ZAKU and the fourth new model, while Orga was busy fighting the second ZAKU. He also noted that the _Izumo_-class had continued to maintain its heading, albeit while it was going backwards, and continued to thwart the _Girty Lue_'s attempts to get to the ZAFT warship.

"Lee, do you read me?"

"Yes, Colonel!"

"I want to try something," Neo said. "Ready a set of missiles and aim them at these coordinates. As soon as they're launched, increase speed and head for the ZAFT warship."

Neo transmitted the designated coordinates to Lee using the Exus' onboard diagnostics. "Are you sure about this, sir…?" Lee asked after a brief pause.

"We're not getting anywhere in our current position Lee," Neo pointed out. "If we want that ship, we're going to have to be incredibly resourceful. Just make sure they're aimed at these precise coordinates."

"Uh…Yes, sir." Lee barked out his orders quickly and within a matter of moments, the missiles had been loaded into the _Girty Lue_'s tubes and were ready to fire. "Missile tubes 19 through 27, take aim. Fire!" As the missiles raced from their positions and headed to the prescribed coordinates, Lee's eyes slowly began to widen as the realization of what Neo had planned slowly came to him. "Main engines, increase speed by 30!"

Neo watched as the white-streaking missiles began to make shattering impacts against the side of the large asteroid in the middle of the cluster, sending rocks tumbling down towards the _Izumo_-class. It seemed as though everything would go according to how he thought it would. What surprised him was that the _Izumo_-class also had begun to increase its speed, though it was in the opposite direction, directly into the path of the incoming rocks. Neo saw several devastating hits on the side of the ship as rocks smashed into weapons pods and destroyed several key gun installations on the side of the ship. Neo wondered what the ship was doing, and then it came to him. By immediately increasing thrust, the ship had pushed itself into an area of the asteroids that was incredibly small and hard to maneuver in. This was the place where the ZAFT warship currently was. Despite taking some damage, the _Izumo_-class had now made it almost impossible for the _Girty Lue_ to get an accurate firing distance on the ZAFT ship. Neo sighed. Whoever was commanding the ship obviously knew what they were doing and also were determined to protect the other warship, regardless of the damage they took themselves.

A short distance away, Lunamaria was still having difficulty pinning down Stella's movements. She fired her rifle again, and yet again Stella was able to dodge by transforming Gaia into its mobile suit mode and using debris as a launching point in order to get away from the shot. At the same time, Stella was able to alter her direction, transform her machine back into its four-legged mode, and come directly at Lunamaria. Lunamaria shrunk in her seat and tried to evade, but Stella smashed into the pink ZAKU's torso and sent Lunamaria flying backwards through a piece of glass debris.

Stella transformed back into mobile suit mode and attempted to line up an accurate shot on the now immobile ZAKU, but a blur of colors clouded her vision just before she fired.

Shinn fired several rounds with his CIWS guns before releasing a round from his beam rifle at the Abyss, which took some of the shots with its protective backpack drawn over itself in a defensive position and evaded the others, and then evaded a quick shot from Auel's chest cannon. Stella scowled. Without even waiting, she fired a quick round that came as close to hitting Auel as it did Shinn. "Stella? What-?" Auel never got an answer because Stella was already sailing past him towards Lunamaria, who had gotten her ZAKU back into its upright stance. Lunamaria jumped out of the way just before Stella got to her. Auel dodged several attacks from the Impulse and used a piece of asteroid rock to shield himself. He silently cursed Stella and her ineptitude. _Why the hell is she even…?_ His diagnostic board warned him in time and Auel was able to spring from his hiding spot just before the white ZAKU blew the asteroid to pieces with its rifle.

Rey's expression was utterly void of emotion as he fired several rounds at the Abyss. Auel smirked. "About time you joined us!" Without aiming, he fired all of the Abyss' shoulder mounted guns at Rey, who was able to dodge the wild shots without much effort.

"Rey!" Shinn called, happy to see his friend had finally gotten his machine working.

"Shinn, look out!" Rey warned. Shinn dove downwards at a sharp angle and away from one of Chaos' gun barrels which chased him down with a series of laser blasts. Shinn whipped out his mobile suit's beam saber and deflected away several of the shots and then used his CIWS guns to put up a screen in order to keep Sting away from him after the green and black mobile suit had appeared.

"Where did he…?"

"Shinn, don't let your mind wander out here," Rey said calmly. "You do and you'll end up as a permanent part of the debris belt."

Shinn didn't even bother to answer, mainly because he couldn't with the Chaos in his face at the moment, but also because he wasn't about to let himself lose concentration, especially now.

Meanwhile, Orga had managed to cut himself a path through the debris using the Night Calamity's Schlag cannons. His sensors indicated that the purple and white ZAKU was still following him. He smirked as he brought both of his arms forward and aimed them at the debris behind him. "Chew on this, ass-hole!" he shouted as he let loose a set of grenades that detonated with a tremendous flash and explosion that followed shortly thereafter. Hopefully, that was the end of that pest. Now Orga could finally get down to business.

He fixed his gaze on the second warship, the one that had just arrived on the scene and was now protecting the ZAFT warship behind it. "You've picked a bad time to pick a fight," he scowled. Bringing his bazooka to bear, he aimed it directly at the _Kusanagi_'s bridge. He waited patiently and when the targeting system beeped, meaning that he had achieved a lock, he smiled. "See you in hell-!"

Something small and dark zoomed past Orga's cockpit and brushed against the asteroid closest to him. Orga yelped as the grenade exploded and sent a shower of rocks at him, forcing him to evade. The next thing Orga saw was the purple and white ZAKU coming straight toward him, a beam axe clutched in both its hands, ready to bring down on him. Brad howled as he swung his axe at Night Calamity, but Orga was too fast and managed to dodge. That didn't stop Brad, who kept up the assault with his shoulder guns.

Orga's anger was rising now. "You son of a bitch! Why won't you just die?!" He let loose a mighty blast from his chest cannon. Brad was forced to move in order to keep himself in one piece and continued to do so as Orga continued to fire hectic shots at him with many of his guns. Brad kept his eyed trained on the other mobile suit and tracked its every move, making sure he kept it in his sights. If he didn't, that would be it for him. It was just like Jachin Due. _No!_ Brad told himself. _I said I'd never think about that again…that's in the past. I've moved on…!_ He tossed another grenade in the Night Calamity's direction, but it missed by a good distance.

Up ahead, the _Minerva_ had managed to put some distance between itself and the _Girty Lue_, but now their journey appeared to be over. "I don't think we're going to make it around that thing," Felix said ominously. Directly ahead of the _Minerva_, lodged between two asteroids both considerably smaller than the one to their starboard side, was the remnant of a destroyed _Laurasia_-class warship, its lime green color standing out against the black and brown around it.

"Can you find a path around it?" Talia demanded.

"Don't count on it. With those asteroids around us we're not going to be able to squeeze through any holes without the risk of tearing this ship apart," Felix concluded.

"Can't we blast our way through them?" Arthur suggested.

"That'll only make things worse," Talia said. "If we use the weapons, we'll bring a rockslide down on us and likely bury ourselves alive."

"And we can't go backwards with Bogey One behind us," Roland added.

"Can't you contact Shinn and the others?" Talia asked Meyrin.

"No ma'am. There's too much interference. I haven't been able to contact them for some time. Not even Rey."

Talia scowled. This was a fine pickle she'd gotten herself and her crew into. How could she…?

"How many starboard thrusters are still operational?" Every eye on the bridge, including Gilbert, Eileen, and Cagalli's, was suddenly on Athrun. He meanwhile, was staring directly at Talia with a determined look on his face.

Talia looked to Gilbert, who nodded in response. Talia responded, "Six. But heading out there now, we'll only be target practice for them!"

"Fire everything on starboard all at once, against the asteroid!" Athrun continued.

"What?" Arthur burst out.

"Are you insane?" Ian said from his station, the first real intuitive thing he'd uttered all during the battle. "If we fire on the asteroid, we'll create a rock shower and kill ourselves faster than Bogey One will!"

"We'll push the hull out in one motion with the force of the explosion, together with the rocks surrounding us," Athrun finished.

"But that will only-!"

Athrun interrupted Arthur's protest with a stern, "Right now, we must think about getting out of here. We're nothing but a target if we stay here." After he finished, all he got was a glare in response from Arthur. That stare tore right through him and Athrun averted his eyes for some time, cursing himself for his outburst.

"Talia…" Gilbert said quietly. Athrun and Cagalli glanced at him curiously.

Talia sighed. "You do have a point. Okay, let's give it a try!" she ordered.

"Captain!"

"We'll talk about this later, Arthur," Talia scolded him. "Ian. Ready the starboard weapons. Concentrate your fire on a front directly beside us. Engage our starboard thrusters at the same time, Felix. Match the timing!"

Ian looked at her with an expression on his face that seemed to ask the question, "Are you insane?" but answered with a simple, "Yes, ma'am."

"Felix! Can you find a hole for us to get through after the blast?" Talia demanded.

Felix shrugged. "It depends on what happens after that thing blows up. If there's a hole, there's a hole. If there's not, there's not. Either way, this is going to take some incredible maneuvering if we're going to pull this off."

"Do the best you can and don't worry about damaging the _Minerva_," Talia added. "We can fix any cosmetic damage if we get out of here. Meyrin! Message Shinn and the others that they're to get away from the asteroid immediately!"

"But Captain-!"

"I don't care if you can't reach them, just send it! At least we'll have tried to warn them," she added under her breath.

**_-1600._**

Chunks of metal separated themselves from the main piece of debris after the Exus dislodged its anchor hook from the substance. Neo scanned the area around him. The ZAFT warship was nowhere to be seen. All that was visible were the _Girty Lue_ and the _Izumo_-class, which was still holed up in the tight space up ahead. Neo jumped started his craft's engines and headed toward his ship.

_That ship has been giving us a lot of trouble here…_ he thought constructively. _Maybe it's time I put it down for a while._

"Lee! What's the status of the _Girty Lue_?"

Ian sighed. "So far we've taken very little damage at all, Colonel. Many of our weapons installations are still operational. But…the thing that has me worried is our mobile suits. They're running dangerously low on power."

"Worry about them later. Give me some cover, Lee, I'm going in. I'll try and get that bastard out of the way so you can have the ZAFT ship all to yourself." Neo reached forward and toggled the switch to his targeting bracket. Due to the amount of interference the debris was causing, he would have to reset his brackets every once in a while in order to keep it operational. Since a mobile armor is much smaller than a mobile suit and more compact, their targeting systems are more sensitive to interference. Through his own tinkering and the work of his mechanics, he'd been able to develop a system that would work out this interference to a certain extent. As his bracket slowly began to readjust itself, Neo gunned his engines and headed for the small opening just ahead, where the _Izumo_-class was now positioned.

The ship didn't appear to moving that much, which Neo assumed was exactly what they wanted to do. _If my hunch is correct, then the Orb Princess is on board that ZAFT warship. That's a virtual given based on how that warship's behaved during this battle. I wonder though…who's in charge of that warship…?_

Neo snapped his head up suddenly. Something was tickling at the back of his mind and it eventually expanded until it rang in a sharp, high-pitched sound throughout his head. He'd felt this once before, back at Armory One. He checked his bracket. Something was approaching fast. His diagnostics indicated that it indeed was exactly who he thought it was.

Rey too was suddenly overtaken by the high-pitched ring inside his mind. _Is that…?_ In a matter of seconds, he could make out the pink mobile armor just a short distance away, heading straight for the _Kusanagi_. Rey checked the power levels on his weapons. They all appeared to be fairly well off at this point. He put himself on a course that would hopefully cut the mobile armor off as it headed for the warship. Rey thought, _that warship is the reason the _Minerva's_ still fighting. Plus…Gil's on that ship. If I want to protect the _Minerva_, I have to protect that ship as well._

The brightness of the white coloring that the ZAKU sported made it stand out against the darkness of the debris belt. Neo could see him clearly with his own eyes, though it appeared with a reddish tint thanks to the infrared goggles imbedded in his mask, and he looked as if he was going to try and stop him from damaging the Orb warship. Fortunately for Neo, it looked as if he had enough distance between himself and White Baldy, which meant that he could damage the Orb warship and still get out of range before the ZAKU was in position for its attack. Neo released all four of his gun barrels and arrayed them in a diamond shape with the Exus' cockpit in the center. He arranged his targets around the very heart of the ship, aiming for the delicate insides that were the lifeblood of the ship. Hopefully, if this worked out right-!

Neo froze. His gun barrels slowly began to lose their precise arrangement and began to waver as they moved forward. It wasn't until his warning lights began to flash and his siren blared that Neo snapped out of his daze. He managed to maneuver the Exus out of the way just before the blast from the _Kusanagi_'s Gottfried cannon incinerated him.

Inside his ZAKU, Rey too had frozen for an instant, but he reacted more quickly and continued on his course to catch the Exus. He got within range and fired a quick succession of shots at the pink mobile armor with his rifle. Neo barrel rolled his craft and the shots missed. Neo retreated back into the debris and Rey frowned. He was instantly on the path that the Exus had just taken. As he moved, he couldn't help but wonder about what had just happened. He had been able to sense the mobile armor pilot, but when he came close to the Orb warship, he had sensed something else. Something different, but something eerily similar to the presence he felt inside the mobile armor.

Neo gripped his controls fiercely. _Why?! Why does _he_ have to be on that ship…?_

Meanwhile, the sole remaining Dagger L from the _Girty Lue_ had entered the debris and was now closing in on the _Kusanagi_. "Ugh…why did you have to interfere?" He fired two quick shots using his shoulder cannons. Both shots struck the _Kusanagi_ amidships, blowing small holes into the hull, causing small bursts of flame to shoot out. "I'll take you down myself if I have to…!" Suddenly, his system chimed a warning. A rifle shot appeared out of nowhere, just whizzing past his Dagger's head. The pilot whipped around and saw another mobile suit, partly hidden by a small asteroid, just a short distance away. It was colored white and red, with what looked like fins arcing past its shoulders. Based on the images he'd seen, he confirmed that it was an Orb M1 Astray model. "Where'd you-?" He didn't have time to see the other two M1's approaching from behind until it was too late. The first one had been a distraction, which allowed the other two to emerge from their hiding places and sneak behind him. The first shot hit the Dagger's right hand, sending the lower portion of the limb flying off into space. The second pierced the cockpit. Seconds later, what was left of the Dagger was now being torn apart by a massive ball of fire.

The first M1 slowly creeped out from behind the asteroid. "Good shot, Three."

"Thank you, Lieutenant."

Lieutenant Mitch Howell keyed his radio and contacted his warship. "The enemy Dagger has been taken care of, General."

"Good work," came a stern, but not domineering voice on the other end. "Stay close to the _Kusanagi_ and make sure that warship doesn't get the opportunity to attack the _Minerva_."

"What about the mobile armor, sir?" Three asked.

"I have a feeling the white ZAFT guy can handle him," was the response.

"Just play defense for now then?" Mitch inquired.

"That's correct, Lieutenant."

"Understood, sir." Mitch sighed after the transmission cut itself off. _After all that's happened these past two years…_he's_ telling us to play defense?_

On the _Minerva_, the crews inside the hangar were working feverishly to lock down all loose objects that were strewn about so that when the _Minerva_ did move, they wouldn't be turned into make-shift missiles. "What are they going to do?" Vino asked Yolant.

"Got me? All's I know is that they said bolt everything down and hang on," Yolant responded.

"One thing's for sure," Vino began. In the middle of his sentence, the _Minerva_ shook from an impact outside, sending him flying off in another direction. "…They never mentioned _this_ at the academy!"

"Have you had any luck contacting Shinn and the others?" Talia asked calmly.

"No ma'am," was Meyrin's response. "I sent the message out like you asked, but I have no way of knowing whether or not they received it."

Talia sighed painfully. "We don't have any other alternative then. It's either we try it, or we stay here and let ourselves be destroyed. Ian! What's the status?"

"All starboard weapons are in position and ready to fire at your order, Captain."

"Starboard thrusters are standing by and ready, Captain," Arthur added.

"I'll give you control of the starboard thrusters too, Ian," Felix said. "If you have both of them, you'll be able to synch the timing more accurately."

"You sure you're going to be able to get out of here with just the main engines under your control?" Roland asked.

"I don't know." That wasn't the answer anyone on the bridge was particularly looking for. "But we'll never know unless we try."

Meanwhile, on the side of the asteroid opposite the _Minerva_, the fight between the mobile suits was reaching an ultimate intensity.

Rey was slowly treading through the debris, his engines set to low energy output, being as quiet as he could, hoping to find the mobile armor before he found him. The ping sounded just before Neo opened fire with two of his gun barrels. He had kept the two on his left and right attached to his cockpit while the others went off in separate directions. Rey ducked underneath the fire couple of shots and then went down below them. He rotated his ZAKU onto its back and fired a few shots up towards the two barrels. He managed to destroy one of the weapons pods with an errant shot that struck an old transport craft which exploded and took the gun barrel down with it. Rey then switched his focus back onto the Exus' main body. Neo dodged the fire and said calmly, "Not so fast." Turning the nose of the Exus downwards, Neo fired the Exus engines at maximum strength and came down on the ZAKU so fast that Rey was forced to maneuver out of the way. By the time he readjusted his aim, the Exus was too far away to target accurately. Scowling, Rey charged after the mobile armor.

Lunamaria peeked out from behind a debris piece and fired a quick shot at Auel, who escaped major damage but was still scorched on the lower part of the Abyss' right leg. Auel scowled. "Why you!"

"Aah-!" Lunamaria cried, barely managing to escape the crevice before the fire from most of Abyss' guns shredded the debris to pieces.

Brad had managed to get in close to Orga and now was grappling with the bigger mobile suit, holding onto Orga's bazooka so that he couldn't fire at anyone. "You won't destroy the _Minerva_!" Brad shouted angrily.

"Get away from me, you bastard!" Orga fired his chest cannon at the ZAKU, but Brad was able to see it in time and released his hold on the other mobile suit. Orga's shot continued forward and tore into the asteroid causing an explosion behind them.

As he fought to maneuver away from Orga, Brad soon found himself having to dodge fire from the Gaia which had swept in from behind him. Stella was crying out angrily as she fired her guns at the ZAKU, but Brad used his shield to block some of the shots and then fired back with his shoulder cannons, all while still managing to keep himself moving in an evasive manner.

In a completely opposite situation, neither Shinn nor Sting even bothered to retreat as they both attacked each other vigorously with their mobile suits' weapons. Impulse fired its beam rifle while Chaos returned fire with its own. "Damn," Sting swore. "Why can't I shoot that guy down? It's the same as last time!" Sting released both of his gun barrels and targeted Shinn with them both.

"Oh no you don't!" Shinn cried. He rolled the Impulse onto its side and fired one quick shot with his rifle that tore into the middle of one of the barrels and destroyed it instantly. Shinn continued his roll and drew his beam saber at the precise moment when he would be facing Sting and charged. Sting retaliated with his own beam saber and both weapons interlocked in a shower of sparks. "How dare you steal our machines!" Shinn shouted at Sting.

"I won't let you defeat me!" Sting retorted. He parried to the left and caught Shinn off balance, but Shinn used the Impulse's free hand and blocked the attack with his forearm. He then leaned forward shoulder first, smashed into the Chaos' torso, and blasted Sting into the side of the asteroid at full speed, driving Chaos deep down into the rock. Sting's eyes widened as Shinn drew back with his beam saber and aimed directly at his cockpit.

"Bogey One, distance 150. _Kusanagi_, distance 125."

"All hands, brace for impact! Here we go!" Talia commanded. Behind her, Gilbert, Eileen, Athrun, and Cagalli all looked on with serious expressions and didn't move at all. On the other hand, Meyrin buried her head in her hands while Bart slumped into his chair and braced himself.

"Starboard thrusters to maximum!" Ian slowly moved one of the levers on his console back until it could go no further. All six of the _Minerva_'s remaining starboard thrusters slowly turned on and were emitting powerful bursts of energy by the time Arthur barked out the next order. "All starboard cannons, fire!"

The asteroid began shaking just before Shinn's joints gave the Impulse the command to plunge the beam saber into the Chaos' cockpit. Shinn hesitated for an instant and during that lull Sting was able to break himself away from the asteroid and catch Shinn with a shoulder block, sending the Impulse flying away. A beam of light appeared from the center of the asteroid then. Sting craned his neck backwards. "What?" Then the asteroid exploded.

Chunks of rock and blasts of flame jetted out from the impact zone of the _Minerva_'s attack. Sting used all of the speed his engines would give him and managed to escape, albeit while taking some light hits from small pieces of rock along the way. Shinn was in a more precarious position after Chaos' attack with the rocks coming directly toward him. Thinking quickly, Shinn reversed thrust and went with the flow of rocks, hurtling backwards into the debris. "Shinn!" Lunamaria called out to him. "What's…aah!" Impulse's hand grasped the ZAKU's firmly and Shinn pulled Lunamaria with him as the force of the explosion hit them.

"What the hell was that?" Auel shouted. All the others waited for what would happen next.

The _Minerva_ was surrounded by the bright lights from the explosion and the rocks were closing in on her rapidly. "Felix, get us-!" Talia, along with almost everyone else on the bridge, was thrown back into her seat as the _Minerva_'s engines accelerated. Felix's eyes were trained forward, his brown orbs seemingly hollow. He turned the ship's controls hard to starboard and the _Minerva_ began a rough turn to the right that caused everyone on the ship to be tossed around like dolls.

"Turn those damn thrusters off!" Felix shouted absent-mindedly. Beside him, Ian jammed the lever as far forward as it would go and the ship's thrusters fell silent.

By the time Talia regained her senses after the first shockwave of g-forces had hit her, she realized that the _Minerva_ had turned around a complete 180 degrees and was now facing the direction of the _Kusanagi_ and Bogey One. The view port was still awash in bright light with rocks seeming to fall past the ship as if they were in a protective barrier. Before Talia asked herself how Felix had been able to do this, she knew what had to be done next. "Turn bow 30! Fire at Bogey One!"

Amidst the swirling debris cloud that had been created by the explosion, Rey, Neo, Stella, and Auel had been separated from everyone else. "The _Minerva_!" Rey shouted.

Neo swore to himself. _Damn…they got free!_

"Aim Taunhauser at Bogey One!" Arthur ordered, his voice strained against the g-forces that were still impacting him.

From the _Girty Lue_'s bridge, Lee was shocked as he saw the shadowed figure of the _Minerva_ begin to emerge from the cloud behind the _Kusanagi_. "Evade! Hard to port!" he ordered. But by that time, it was too late.

"Fire!" A torrent of red energy swept towards the _Girty Lue_ from its origin point of the _Minerva_'s massive Taunhauser cannon. Lee's order had been given with enough time so that the shot didn't strike the _Girty Lue_ head on, but it still struck the ship on the starboard side, tearing open bulkheads and sending blasts of boiling hot fire into the ship.

The _Minerva_ passed to the right at full speed, her engines billowing clouds of white flame in their wake. Ahead, the _Kusanagi _had begun to accelerate and was now going by the_ Girty Lue_ on her port side, but without firing any of her weapons at the other ship.

Inside the Exus, Neo frowned at the events unfolding. "They've risen from the brink of defeat!" he murmured quietly but with intensity. "Lee! Send the retreat signal to Sting and the others! Get them back to the ship immediately!" Neo noticed a flash of white to his right and rolled the Exus out of the way of Rey's next shot. Rey continued to give chase until Neo disappeared amidst the debris that had been created as a result of the _Minerva_'s attack. He scowled. He'd let him escape again. Now a good distance away, Neo smiled casually back in the direction the ZAKU had been. "I look forward to seeing you again," he whispered casually. "White Baldy. And the ZAFT crew." He then fixed his gaze on the other warship and frowned. He continued to stare in the direction of that warship and as the Exus began to make its way back to her home, he silently asked himself why _he_ of all people had to be in command of that ship.

Just then, a series of brightly illuminated flashes appeared beside the _Girty Lue_. Return signals. "Well, looks like our time's up," Auel commented.

"So it would seem," Sting said, his voice rasping after having come so close to being crushed by the debris from the asteroid. "Neo wants us back. Stella!" The Gaia was just off to his left, but Stella didn't respond. Sting could hear her breathing though and he smiled. "It's all right, Stella." Stella's head perked up a little when she heard Sting's calm voice. "You did well. Neo's calling. He'll be waiting when we get back." Stella stayed silent for a few more moments before a smile crept across her face. She nodded and followed the other two back to the ship.

Both Shinn and Lunamaria had managed to escape the blast as well. "Return signals? I won't let them-!"

Rey appeared and held out his ZAKU's arm to stop Shinn. "Forget about it, Shinn. If you go after them now, none of us will be able to help you. There's no justice in attacking a retreating ship."

Brad watched silently as Bogey One began to slowly move away from the battlefield, smoke pouring out from her starboard side where a jagged hole was visible. He sighed heavily to himself after a short while.

The next thing he felt was being thrown forward as something smashed into his ZAKU from behind. Brad snapped his head to his right and scowled. Night Calamity was behind him, smoke billowing from its Schlag cannons. Orga smirked. "See ya around dirt bag. Until we met again." With that said, Orga disappeared into the debris.

"Bastard!" Brad shouted. He hurled his beam axe in the direction the Night Calamity had gone but it impacted harmlessly against an asteroid chunk. Sweat was pouring off of his forehead and stinging his eyes. Brad sat back into his seat and slowly began to make his way back to the _Minerva_.

"Bogey One is leaving the area, ma'am," Bart reported calmly.

"Power has reached critical level on the Impulse and both Lunamaria and Brad's ZAKU's," Meyrin added.

"Captain, during the explosion our number two engine and portside heat sensors have been hit," Arthur said. "We won't be able to maneuver at maximum velocity until we make repairs."

"Get us out of the debris, Felix. As soon as we're clear bring the Impulse and the others back in. We'll find a safe spot to stop and make repairs," Talia said.

Felix blinked his eyes and they slowly began to return to normal. "Roger," he said evenly.

_**-Minerva, 1620.**_

"Impulse is returning. Prepare for hot landing. Emergency crews please standby. Commence cooling of armor as soon as lockdown procedures have been completed."

Shinn piloted the Impulse with a gentle grip as he meandered his way into the _Minerva_'s hangar. He turned his mobile suit around 180 degrees and felt it come to a rough stop against the catch wires at the end of the hatch. His mobile suit was backed further into the hangar where it became surrounded by a series of hoses and sprinkler systems that sprayed a cooling gel onto the Impulse's armor in order to cool it down so it could be serviced later on.

"Kid, disengage the laser guidance so we can take the Impulse apart and service it," Aves told Shinn. "How bad is the damage on your end?"

"I got hit by a couple of rocks when that asteroid exploded…knocked one of the sensors offline. Otherwise, there's nothing that seems too serious to report."

"Great. Hang on and we'll get you out of there." After several seconds, a message flashed across Shinn's cockpit screen that read, ARMOR COOLING COMPLETED. Shinn unbuckled his restraints and pressed the cockpit release button which opened the hatch and allowed him to exit his machine.

"Nice job, Shinn," Yolant praised him. "That's twice you've beaten them."

"I didn't beat them Yolant," Shinn reminded him. "They got away with the stolen mobile suits."

"Yeah, but you still kept them from destroying the _Minerva_."

Shinn spotted Rey and Lunamaria a short distance away and pushed himself into the air and made his way over to them. "Look, I'm not saying that I'm angry about it. I just don't understand why that ship showed up all of sudden." Shinn landed between Lunamaria and Rey and asked what was happening. "We're just discussing why that Orb warship had to come and step into the battle the way it did," Lunamaria rephrased.

"They confirmed it was an Orb warship?" Shinn asked.

"Uh-huh."

Shinn frowned. "But why would they bother coming to save us?"

"They weren't here to save _us_," Rey said. "More than likely they only interfered because they felt that their Princess was in danger."

"That's it? The only reason they came was to protect _her_?"

"We haven't contacted them as far as I know, but that's just my assumption taking into account their actions thus far."

"Why would anyone want to protect _her_?" Lunamaria cast a curious eye towards Shinn, but before she could say anything, he had already kicked off the deck and was on his way towards the adjacent hallway at the end of the hangar.

"Shinn!" she called after him. Rey stood there for several seconds. _He hasn't changed one bit. _He sighed and followed after them.

On the bridge, Talia had had the _Minerva_ moved a safe distance away from the debris so that their communications would be working once again. The _Kusanagi _had followed them the entire way and was now traveling directly abreast of the _Minerva_ to starboard.

Talia had been listening to various damage reports that were filtering into the bridge for the past few minutes. The _Minerva_ had taken a beating during the battle, but nothing seemed as if it would keep the ship from seeing any action for a long period of time. All her engines had been back online for a short while and although there were some holes, her hull was relatively intact. Talia was grateful for that at least.

While half of her mind was on the reports filtering into the bridge, the other half was keeping a keen watch on the Chairman and the Princess. "Princess, I know I have inconvenienced you greatly during what was supposed to be a diplomatic visit, but for that I am truly sorry for what has happened."

"As am I. It was unfortunate that we were unable to continue our talks in a more peaceful setting," Eileen put in.

Before Cagalli could respond, Meyrin interrupted. "Captain, we have an incoming message from the _Kusanagi_." Talia turned her chair half-way round so she could see Meyrin from the corner of her eye. "It reads, '_Minerva, _we hope that you and your crew are all right and that our actions did not appear hostile toward you in any way. All that we ask is to speak with Representative Athha if she is available at this moment.' That's all it is."

"Arthur, what's the status of our communications?"

"We'll regain the ability to send video transmissions momentarily, Captain."

Talia glanced at Gilbert, who nodded. "As soon as we can, open a channel to the _Kusanagi_, Meyrin."

It only took a few minutes before the _Minerva_'s view screen slowly began to shed itself of the static that had been plaguing it for what seemed like an eternity. As the seconds passed, two figures began to emerge from the mesh of static. The first was sitting in what appeared to be a command chair with various devices anchored into the arm rests similar to the way Talia's chair was arrayed. This man looked fairly young; he couldn't be more than thirty. He was clean shaven, with short blonde hair and deep blue eyes that were almost the exact color of a clear blue sky on a sunny day. He was dressed in an Orb Navy uniform, all white exterior with occasional patches of blue and a similar officer's cap perched on his head. The other was standing, or rather towering over the first. He was so tall that his head was almost above the top of the view screen. He wasn't thin however, as his body bulked out to give one the impression that he was fairly strong as well. The other thing that stood out with him was the black patch draped across the spot where his left eye should have been. His black hair was cut short and he was dressed in the same manner as the first man was.

The one sitting spoke first. His gaze took in Gilbert's figure at the rear of the bridge. "Chairman Dullindal. It is an honor." Gilbert smiled. "Before I say anything else, I want to offer my apologies."

Gilbert appeared confused. "To what may I ask are you apologizing for…sir…?"

"Oh, pardon me. I am General Martin Vernes of the Orb 1st Space Fleet. This is Captain Robert Jackson, the commander of the _Kusanagi_."

"Captain Jackson…ah yes. The one who led the _Kusanagi_ through the Second Battle of Jachin Due and lost an eye in the process. I'm honored to meet you, Captain."

"Thank you, sir," Jackson responded quickly.

"Yes. As I was saying Mr. Chairman, I want to offer my apologies to you and to the _Minerva_ crew for our actions during the last battle." His tone of voice made him seem like he was actually sorry. "If you are upset with us for our course of action, Captain, you have my sincerest apologies."

Talia responded, "I don't believe anyone will be upset with you, General."

"I agree. In fact I would think that many of the crew would be extremely thankful to you for offering us your help at this time," Gilbert said. "More than likely you saved every person on this ship's lives by your course of action."

"I was merely doing my job. I must admit that we weren't intending necessarily to assist you in the battle. Rather, we were here to ensure that the Representative was unharmed. Though, we owe most of that to you yourself, Mr. Chairman. You are all right, correct Representative?" Cagalli nodded.

"In any case, we owe you and your crew a great deal, General," Gilbert continued. "If there's anything we can possibly do to thank you…?"

The General smiled, much to the surprise of many on the bridge crew. "The only request that we have is for the Representative's continued well being. If it's possible, we'll take her on board as soon as possible and head for Earth thereafter."

"I'm sure that won't be a problem at all. I however, would like the opportunity to apologize to Representative Athha myself before then," Gilbert said.

"That's fine with me."

"Thank you, General," Gilbert said.

He got to his feet and most of the bridge crew, including Talia, believed that that was that and everything had turned out fine. That was, until Gilbert said, "You will have my eternal gratitude…Mwu la Flaga."

Cagalli audibly gasped behind him. Athrun's eyes widened. Talia, Arthur, and Roland all glanced at Gilbert with a shocked expression. Then everyone glanced up at the view screen to see the General's reaction. His face had not changed a single feature. However, everyone could see his throat visibly move as it shoved down a nervous gulp. "I'm afraid you have me mistaken for someone else, Mr. Chairman. You have my thanks." He spoke the words quickly and then he was gone.

Everyone on the bridge had seen his reaction and they all began to realize that he indeed was who Gilbert had said he was. Just as he had done with Athrun earlier, he had correctly seen through the alias of a complete stranger and had exposed them for who they really were without what seemed like a care in the world. Cagalli continued staring at him wide-eyed until Gilbert turned to face her. "I apologize Princess. I have kept you from your duties far too long. Please." He extended his arm and indicated toward the exit of the bridge. "Talia. Will you and the other officers accompany us?"

Talia hesitated, and then nodded her head affirmatively. "Raise the bridge!" she ordered as the doors swung open behind her. Gilbert led Cagalli and Athrun through the door while Eileen waited for Talia and Arthur to finish up with their assignments and orders. "Felix, put the ship in an area where our repair crews can easily find us. Tell me as soon as they get here. Send the coordinates to the _Kusanagi_ as soon as you have them! If it's been confirmed that there's no enemy presence after five minutes, change the status to Condition Green, Roland." Talia stood up gingerly, her back aching from having sat down for the past two hours without moving. She followed the path Gilbert had taken earlier out of the bridge with Eileen and Arthur behind her.

As they exited the bridge, Talia overheard Eileen whisper to him, "You noticed it to?"

"What? That the Orb General's exactly like the Chairman in personality? Yes, I noticed it." Making sure that no one saw, Talia smiled to herself.

After they had left the upper half of the bridge rose up to its normal position above the lower portion. "The Captain said you can resume your normal duty schedules now," Roland informed the rest of the crew once the five minutes had passed. "So if you're supposed to be off duty now, by all means go ahead." He began to make the final checks on the bridge status before leaving himself to go find Talia and the others. Meyrin told Bart that she would stay on the bridge and let him have a break, which he accepted without much of a pause.

Ian and Felix were still in the darkened lower half of the bridge at that point. Ian removed his head-set and set it down on his console. He stretched his arms up above his head and moved his neck this way and that trying to get the kinks out. "Victoria's probably gonna ask you what the hell you did to make the whole ship shake."

Ian tilted his glasses and smirked at him. "I'll just tell her I was following orders."

He turned to leave and as he did, Felix asked him, "Hey by the way…how's he do that?"

"Who?"

"Your dad." Ian stopped. "He saw through two high profile people's aliases. It didn't even seem like he was surprised."

"Does it look like I would know that?" Ian responded roughly. Felix frowned. "I don't even care." As Ian began to climb the ladder to exit the bridge, Felix stretched the ends of his lips as far as they would go and shivered.

Meanwhile, on the bridge of the _Kusanagi_, there was another individual who had shivered just as much as Felix had. As soon as the transmission to the _Minerva_ was cut, Mwu slumped in his comfortable General's chair on the right side of the bridge and sighed heavily. Two and a half years of hiding behind his alias and now a complete stranger, the Chairman of the PLANTs nonetheless, blows it in front of an entire ZAFT crew. _Well, at least this can't get any worse…I think…_

"Are you all right, sir?" Jackson asked kindly.

"Fine, Bob, just fine," Mwu responded in a husky tone of voice. Mwu turned his face towards the ceiling and took a deep breath. "I've got to admit the Chairman's as good as they say he is."

"He seemed like a level-headed person, though," Jackson pointed out. He took his seat across from Mwu in his Captain's chair and added, "Who knows, he may make sure that everyone that heard him keeps your name a secret."

"Yeah, I'm sure he will. I'm supposed to be dead and suddenly I appear out of nowhere after two years," Mwu said sarcastically.

"At least it's better than having someone in the Earth Forces know you're here," said Joshua Manchisco, the _Kusanagi_'s second-in-command behind Captain Jackson.

"Yeah, at least there's that."

"Captain. General. Lieutenant Howell and his pilots are returning," one of the crew reported.

"Put a line through to him," Mwu ordered. "Tell Nate to prepare for landings as well." Moments later, Mitch's face appeared on the view screen in front of them. "What's happening Mitch?"

"The enemy ship has completely withdrawn from the area, General."

"Are you sure there's no sign of them?"

"Almost positive, sir. If they would've stayed behind to attack us again, we'd have seen it by now."

"You want us to send out a shuttle to pick up Miss Cagalli?" Jackson asked.

"The Chairman said he wanted to speak with her. Give them a couple of minutes, Bob." Mwu sat back in his chair for several moments and didn't say a word. "It's times like these…I wish I was still out there…" he whispered quietly.

"You miss it?" Jackson inquired.

Mwu sighed. "Sometimes I do…sometimes I don't. It all depends on the situation. But I know why I said I wouldn't do it again…and right now I don't see a reason why I should go back on that."

Jackson smiled. "Whatever you say, General."

_**-Minerva, 1630.**_

"I sincerely apologize for everything, Representative Athha." Gilbert walked to Cagalli's left as their small entourage made their way through the empty corridors of the _Minerva_, with Talia, Athrun, Eileen, and Arthur right behind them. "I know this was not in any of your plans whatsoever and that you only wished to speak with us concerning smaller matters. Unfortunately I involved you in this and for that I apologize."

"Never mind us," Cagalli said. "Although I must say I regret very much that things ended this way."

"As do we all I'm sure," Gilbert added.

"I pray from my heart that Representative Canaver and you will be able to resolve things quickly. Regarding that I have complete faith in you."

"Thank you very much." Gilbert glanced over his shoulder and asked, "Eileen, have we been able to establish contact with Orb yet?"

"We were able to contact them through the _Kusanagi_, Chairman," Eileen responded calmly. "You'll now be able to contact them whenever you wish, Representative."

"Thank you." They stopped when they reached the entrance to Cagalli's temporary quarters. Cagalli turned toward Talia and inclined her head slightly. "I want to apologize to you, Captain. I interfered during the conflict without asking you. I understand that you may be upset over this, and for that I'm truly sorry."

Talia paused and held an expression of perplex on her face. Quickly however, she smiled. "I'm not the least but upset over what happened, Representative. As a matter of fact, it probably was thanks to your actions that we were able to escape from there."

"You and your crew got us out safely," Cagalli said. "I don't deserve any credit, Captain." Cagalli bowed to Gilbert and thanked him once again for his generosity before entering her quarters.

Athrun started to follow her, but stopped when Gilbert began to speak once again. "But really, we were saved earlier thanks to _him_. Weren't we Captain? Lieutenant?"

Talia glanced at Gilbert. "Ah…yes…" she stammered. Arthur appeared even more unsure of himself. He simply glanced at Eileen who smiled at him and then nodded to Gilbert.

Athrun turned completely around to face Gilbert who continued, "That was impressive. The true strength of someone who has survived numerous battles.

"Thank you. But I apologize for sticking my nose into things like I did, Captain."

Talia smiled. "Your decision was the correct one. Thank you."

"She's right." Arthur continued carefully. "We probably wouldn't have made it out of there alive if it wasn't for your insight. I shouldn't have questioned your judgment."

"We may very well owe you our lives," Eileen added. "Once again, as a matter of fact."

Athrun shut his eyes and sighed. "I was just doing what any normal human being would have done. Thank you for your consideration, Captain. Mr. Chairman. Excuse me, please." Without another word, Athrun passed through the doors and they sighed shut behind him.

Gilbert sighed. He turned to Talia and said, "I think it's time for me to take my leave as well, Captain. It's been a very long day."

"I understand, sir. Your quarters have already been prepared on the C-deck. You'll be able to contact the homeland via the portable terminal there," Talia informed him.

"Thank you, Talia. Arthur. Eileen." Gilbert made his way down the corridor leaving the others behind him. He stepped into one of the lifts nearby and pressed the correct combination that would take him to his destination. After the doors had closed ahead of him, he leaned his back against the wall and shut his eyes. _If only they knew how hard this has been for me…_he thought. It had been incredibly hard indeed. This was the first time in over half a year Gilbert had seen either of his children. Even when he had, it had been sporadically. Because of his involvement with the military and politics during the past years, he had seen very little of Ian and Victoria as they were entering their adult years and it had torn him up inside. Now he fully realized what he had missed. Ian had matured into a fine, disciplined young man who did his job without questioning orders, but not without thinking things through. And Victoria, who once had been his little girl, had sprouted into a beautiful young woman who the entire crew of this warship depended upon. What made it hardest however for Gilbert was not the fact that his son still refused to speak, much less acknowledge, him as it had been for years, but the fact that both he and Victoria shared many of the same qualities that Natalie had had… Gilbert sighed again. Thinking about it only made him miss her even more.

Meanwhile, after Gilbert had left, Arthur glanced at Eileen who was still standing beside him. She smiled up at him, which caused him to smile at her in return. "Arthur!"

Arthur jumped. "Y-yes, ma'am?"

Talia glanced at him and said seriously, "Perhaps you'd like to escort Representative Canaver to her quarters? She looks like she desperately needs a break as well. No offense, Ma'am."

Eileen smiled. "None taken."

Arthur paused for a few moments. He glanced at Talia, then Eileen. Finally, he saluted Talia and said, "Yes, ma'am." Quickly he spun on his heel and started walking the other way down the corridor with Eileen beside him.

Talia turned the other way for a few seconds, trying to appear as if she were heading off somewhere more important. After time had elapsed, she snuck a peak behind her and saw Eileen slip her hand into Arthur's, to which he responded by squeezing hers gently. Talia smiled.

"I knew it. Just as sly as ever…"

Talia frowned. She slowly turned to her left. She smiled, but her eyes still appeared angry. "Were you watching the entire time?"

Roland chuckled. "You said you wanted the officers to accompany them. I was merely following orders, Captain."

Talia shook her head. "You'd better not tell anyone-."

"Hey, I don't think _anyone_ would like to know what's gonna happen between _them_ right now!"

Talia laughed. "We never change do we?"

"Wouldn't want to," Roland pointed out. He stepped beside her as they began walking down the corridor. "So what's our strategy now?"

"We'll wait until we get repairs done and then we'll decide. I think it would be best if we returned to Armory One after we transfer Miss Cagalli over to the _Kusanagi_. How are the pilots?"

"They're fine, don't worry. The Commander took another beating out there, so I don't think he'll be too happy for a while. Other than that there's nothing unusual to report." Roland yawned. "Man, if they'd have told me I'd been getting involved in a battle before the ship was even officially launched…"

"I know what you mean." Talia added, "If this is a sing of things to come, and I hope it isn't, I can only wonder what'll happen next."

"Yeah, me too," Roland admitted quietly.

_**-Kusanagi, 1730.**_

Mwu returned quietly to his office shortly after the _Kusanagi_ returned to half-watch status. So far there had been no detection of the enemy vessel, much less an identification code for it, and he had been forced to assume that it had departed the area completely, though he still reminded himself from time to time that nothing was assured in times like this.

He closed the door behind him and locked it. Sinking into the confines of his seat, Mwu removed his officer's cap and tossed it into the weightlessness that surrounded him. He ran his palm through the bush that was his blond hair and sighed.

How long had it been? Two years? Two years and he still hadn't gotten used to this. The whole ordeal of being a Fleet Commander had yet to sink in and now he found himself in the middle of a conflict between two forces he knew very little about. It all seemed eerily familiar to him, invoking memories he would like to forget.

After that last battle, he'd hoped he would never have to return to the battlefield. That he could just disappear from the public light. Things had been much more difficult however and he had been thrust back into the light as a commander officer. Not because he chose to. It was more a lack of choice that had put him in this position. It was either that…or those who he cared about would suffer because of it.

Something caught his eye. He plucked the square shape out of its floating state and brought it before his eyes. The two pairs of eyes inside the square looked so happy. He smiled. It was because of those eyes that he had returned to this, even though he would have preferred not to.

Mwu closed his eyes and sighed gently. _I'm doing this for them…_ he reminded himself. _They're all I have…I just hope I've done the right thing in all of this…_ Mwu knew though, one way or another, he would probably find the answer to that question very soon.

_**-Minerva, 1730.**_

Athrun had taken his leave of Cagalli after dinner and now was sitting by himself in one of the vacant pilot excursion rooms on the _Minerva_. His arms were crossed across his lap and his head was pointed directly towards the floor beneath him. His eyes were trained forward on the marble gray floor beneath him, but his mind was in a much different place.

He kept on seeing them…seeing their faces…hearing their voices…the voices of his past…those belonging to his friends who had been lost. _Nicol…Rusty…Miguel…_

Though he had tried to forget, he had discovered that it was impossible to forget the images from two years ago. The sight of his friends losing their lives right in front of him.

Rusty, his visor exploding in a shower of plastic, collapsing to the concrete below inside the hangar on Heliopolis.

Miguel, a ball of fire marking the spot where his GINN had disintegrated after the X-105 Strike's sword had plunged into his cockpit.

Nicol, his weak voice warning him to run, just before the X-207 Blitz erupted in a bright explosion after that same Strike's sword had cut him in two.

Their deaths had happened as a result of the war and the insanity that had gripped both sides during the conflict. That same insanity that had driven him to almost kill his best friend. _Kira…_

Athrun still remembered that day. How could he forget?

He felt the cold air brush past him as he ejected from the X-303 Aegis' cockpit, its claws wrapped securely around the Strike with Kira inside the cockpit.

He heard the explosion behind him as the ball of fire engulfed the entire landscape around him.

He saw Kira's face, overcome with rage after Athrun had taken the life of one of Kira's friends, an exact copy of Athrun's own expression as a result of Kira's slaying of Nicol.

_I had hoped I would never have to relive this feeling again…_ he reminded himself. Accompanying those thoughts were images that struck painfully close to home for Athrun.

He saw himself as a young boy, running around a grassy knoll in an anonymous park somewhere. Behind him was his mother Lenore, her short blue hair and green eyes a reflection of his own. She smiled down at him and scooped his flailing form into her arms and held him tight. Athrun could still feel her embrace…and it tore him up inside to think that he would never feel it again…even though he'd realized that for three years.

Then an even more unbearable image appeared. His father Patrick, who had been driven insane by his mother's death. The man who had striven to defeat the Earth Alliance during the last war. The man who had plotted to destroy the Earth as a result of everything that had happened to him in the past. The man who had died in Athrun's arms after the fatal gunshot wounds had been inflicted upon him.

In a span of two years, Athrun had lost both of his parents whose deaths still stung him today. He had been alone since then. He had friends who had been able to ease his pain somewhat, but he never fully recovered from his parents' deaths. He was still struggling with their fates even today.

Peace had also done its part to heal the wounds, but after what had happened today, they were opening once again and they were beginning to bleed.

The door to the room opened with an audible sigh. "Oh! So this is where you've been hiding?" Athrun looked up and saw the _Minerva_ pilots standing in the doorway. Lunamaria ventured into the room while Shinn, Rey, and the girl from the bridge remained in the doorway. "Well…we were just talking about you, Athrun Zala. Hard to believe, but it figures. I'm honored to meet such a legendary ace in the least expected of places. So, how does it feel to be yourself again?" Lunamaria asked.

Athrun grimaced. "It's nothing like that. I'm Alex," he maintained.

Lunamaria smiled innocently. "So you no longer have to pilot a mobile suit?" Athrun frowned. He cast an annoyed glare upon her and Lunamaria's mouth opened in surprise.

"Stop it, Luna!" Shinn called. "Who cares about anyone living in Orb? They have no idea what really goes on."

Athrun snapped his head in Shinn's direction, but by that time Shinn was already out of sight behind the wall. Rey was staring in the direction Shinn had left and then focused his attention back to Athrun. He saluted. "Excuse me!" Without another word, Rey too was gone.

Lunamaria stared at her Meyrin, who was still in the doorway, looking slightly embarrassed after what had just happened and sighed. "Don't take it too seriously. They're just worked up over the battle. But I heard you saved the ship from danger." She saluted him. "Thank you very much."

She turned to leave. Meyrin followed her sister out the doorway, but not before casting a long glance back at Athrun. After they left, Athrun sighed and stood up gingerly.

As he headed back to Cagalli's quarters, he wondered why he had been so worked up by those pilots. Particularly the one with black hair and red eyes. He seemed to have some pretty deep emotions towards Orb and Cagalli, but for what reasons? Why had he joined the military if he had those feelings about others?

Athrun shook his head and cursed himself. He was getting worked up over nothing. It was probably just as Lunamaria had said. He was just worked up over the battle. Without giving another thought to the matter, he headed down the empty corridor towards his quarters.

Meanwhile, Shinn too had retreated to his own quarters despite the concerns of Rey who he had told to leave him alone for a while. He leaned gently against the closed door and stared up at the ceiling. _Of all the people…what the hell are _they_ doing here? As if they know what's been happening!_

Shinn shook his head and rubbed his palm across his forehead. Something caught his eye on the desk in front of him. Despite the lighting being dim, he could make out the pink object without much trouble. Moving toward it, Shinn picked up the small object in his hand and held it for several seconds. He smiled.

The cell-phone was old, but it was still in good condition. Maybe because it hadn't been used much in the past two years? Shinn laid down on his bunk and flipped open the phone. He pressed several of the buttons in a combination that he had memorized over those years. Then the voice sounded in his ear. "Hi! Mayu here! I'm sorry. I can't talk to you right now!" Shinn smiled. "I'll call you back later, so please leave your name after the beep!" As said beep rang in his ears, Shinn closed his eyes and thought back to a time and place when that voice had been that of someone close to him, rather than just a voice mail recording on a simple cell-phone.

_**-Aprilius One, October 3, C.E. 73, 0200.**_

The main command center inside the ZAFT Supreme Council Building was usually quiet by this time of night. The only personnel on duty were the standard compliment of soldiers and custodians working their typical night hours. However, this time there were some unexpected guests working late at night.

"Are you positive about this? There isn't a chance that this is merely an error?"

"It's no error. I've checked it several times!" The soldier moved aside and created enough of a gap that General Wolff could get a closer view of the monitor the soldier was manning. Wolff scanned the image for several moments before speaking once again in his lightly-toned, but stern voice. "You realize the implications that will associate with this if it in fact is an error, Private?"

"Yes, sir. But as I've said, I checked it several times myself and it doesn't lie. This reading came directly from our L4 outposts on multiple scans." The young man typed something into his monitor and several smaller images appeared on screen. "Look here. This one's from two hours ago."

Behind them, the large steel doors to the command center opened slowly. Stepping between the doors, Kenneth Roske fought back a yawn as he entered the dark and dreary complex. He could hear the conversation going on in front of him. "Although it's very gradual, even now it's unmistakably moving."

"That's damn impossible," Wolff whispered harshly. He could hardly fathom what he was seeing! "It should be in a fixed orbit for God's sake!"

"What's the problem General?" Wolff looked behind him and saw Roske standing there. "I'm already assuming it's important if you summoned me here at…two o'clock in the morning."

"You're damn right it's important, Roske," he hissed. "Look."

Roske glanced at the monitor. Two concentric circles were orbiting a massive blue sphere that appeared to be the Earth. One of the circles was slightly inverted more closely to the Earth however. "What is this?"

Wolff looked at Roske and didn't say anything for a few moments. It was as if he were trying to say that he could believe it either. He then opened his mouth to speak the words he never thought he would ever utter. "Junius Seven is moving…directly toward the Earth!"

**END PHASE-04**


	6. Phase 05 Scars That Won't Heal

**PHASE-05 Scars That Won't Heal**

_The explosions were getting closer. He could hear them and their fury almost directly behind him. He felt the heat from the fires even at this distance. The trees he had just run past were now smoldering with flames having incinerated them. Black smoke billowed high into the sky, camouflaging the gunfire that he knew was up there too. As bad as all of this sounded, he knew it was only beginning. Because, he knew, the explosions were getting closer._

_He had taken the rear spot as soon as he and his family had entered the forest to escape the explosions. His father's footsteps were directly ahead his, with his mother and sister running abreast of him. Mayu was barely able to keep up with them so their mother had to literally drag her beside her. He reminded himself that if Mayu were to fall he would have to stop and pick her up. He wasn't about to let her die here. _

"_It's not much farther, now," he heard his father call out. They slowed to a stop to catch their breath inside a clearing where they could see the sky above them. The ground rumbled beneath their feet as another explosion sounded in the distance. _

_He could hear his mother plead with his father to keep moving. Casting a glance behind him, even with the knowledge that he wouldn't like what he saw, he witnessed the fireball expanding over the horizon of trees. From inside that fireball emerged the humanoid figures known as mobile suits. There were different designs, which meant that both Orb and the Earth Forces had fully engaged in battle. _

_His father's wise voice tried to console his mother's unnerve. "Don't worry. It's all right. Their targets are likely military facilities. They won't target civilians just for the hell of it. Hurry, Shinn!" _

_Shinn snapped his head back toward his family who then began to run further into the forest. His fourteen year-old legs moved as fast as they could, struggling to maintain a quick pace after having run for quite some time now. Through an opening in the thicket off to his right, he could see the shoreline where several of Orb's mobile suits were defending against an onslaught of Earth Forces' units. Their gunfire was deafening as they past. _

_Suddenly, he heard something approaching fast from behind. "Get down!" he cried. He grabbed Mayu from behind and threw her down on the ground, protecting her with his arms. His parents crouched down and shielded them both as the force from the passing mobile suits slammed into them, threatening to knock them off their feet. There were two mobile suits, one riding on top of the other. The one on top was painted bright blue with huge cannons on its shoulders while the one below was a mesh of red and black and was in the shape of a bird. _

_The blue mobile suit dropped down onto the ground and fired its guns, shredding apart one of the Orb mobile suits and causing a massive explosion. Shinn and his family were overcome by the immense heat and it made his skin sizzle in pain. _

_His father dragged him to his feet and they were running again. Shinn looked behind him and caught a glimpse of the blue mobile suit as it continued to fire its guns at the opposing forces. When he looked back up a head, he saw something even more dismaying. _

_His father continued to pull his mother along, who in turn was taking Mayu with her. All of a sudden, his mother took a misstep and lost her balance, knocking Mayu against a tree. Her pink cell-phone dislodged itself from her clothes and tumbled down a dirt embankment next to them. Mayu cried after it and tried to run down the slope, but their mother held her back. "I need my phone!" Mayu screamed. _

_While his mother tried to get Mayu to move again, Shinn looked back behind him and then vaulted down the embankment to retrieve the lost piece of technology. His father and mother called after him but by that time he had already disappeared into the trees. _

_He landed awkwardly at a point where the embankment lessened in severity and managed to stop himself against a tree. He saw the pink object just ahead. Reaching down, he managed to secure the phone in his hand and was just about to turn back toward his parents and sister's location when he saw the blue mobile suit fire a burst from its chest cannon high into the sky directly at a green mobile suit with a large backpack over its head. The beam struck the flying mobile suit and suddenly deflected off of it, smashing into the ground just a short distance behind him._

_The impact threw Shinn back down the embankment where he landed hard on his right shoulder before rolling onto his belly and coming to a stop on the concrete below. He was knocked out for several moments. _

_When he came to, Shinn could hear someone calling his name. In his groggy state, he originally thought it was his father's voice, and then as his vision cleared he saw a soldier in an Orb uniform rushing towards him. "Are you all right?" he asked urgently. Shinn's shoulder was hurt badly; he could barely move it. His nose was flooded with the bitter scent of salt water as he shook his nodded his head slowly. "Looks like your shoulder's dislocated," the soldier assessed. "Come on, we have to get you to a medic!"_

"_Wait…!" Shinn gasped, managing to get onto his knees. He winced in pain as he swung himself around to his right and faced what was left of the forest. "Where my…?" _

_His eyes weren't prepared for what he saw before him. The entire forest that had been directly behind him was gone. All the trees had been uprooted and burned black, their remains lying in pieces on the dirt embankment that was now sporting a trench that stretched from top to bottom. "Dad…Mom…Mayu…?" he murmured. Then something caught his eye. It was an arm. Only the front portion, the rest was hidden behind a boulder, but he definitely knew it was Mayu's arm. He also noticed the blood trickling down the forearm and immediately rushed forward, calling out Mayu's name. _

_Once he reached the other side of the boulder, Shinn's eyes widened in shock. The arm…it wasn't attached to anything! His entire body froze. His heart sank as his gaze slowly crept up the remains of the embankment. Then he saw them. His sister Mayu's body was missing her left arm, the rest of her body mangled and covered in blood. His mother, lying in a pool of blood, crouched just a short distance away as if she was trying to protect Mayu. His father was pinned beneath the remains of the one of the trees, blood pouring from his open mouth. _

"_Hey!" The soldier was still calling out to him, but Shinn couldn't hear him. The only thing he could hear was the fire crackling nearby, the gunfire blasting from high above, and the splintering of wood as the trees succumbed to the flames. His body began trembling. His hand, still clutching Mayu's cell-phone relinquished its hold and the phone clanked down on the ground beside him._

_Shinn dropped to his knees. It couldn't…it just couldn't be… The sea breeze stung his eyes as tears began to spill out of them and onto his cheeks. He dropped to his knees beside Mayu's arm. Overhead, the blue mobile suit streaked past as it jumped onto the back of the bird-like machine and sped away. He watched it go past him until it disappeared behind the trees off to his left. His eyes narrowed and his body began to tremble even more so. Then he screamed. His cry echoed throughout the entire area, through the trees, the ocean, the sky, and stretched far into the distance until it was drowned out by the gunfire and explosions that continued to sound…_

Shinn sat up quickly, not managing to stifle a cry of anguish as he did, his head nearly coming into contact with the metal support bar above him. Sweat dripped from every inch of his panting body and his sheets were already soaked transparent.

In the darkness to his right, he heard Rey stir in his own bunk. "Shinn…" Rey mumbled, still drowsy. "Are you all right…?" Shinn's only reply was a grunt before collapsing back onto the damp sheets below him.

Rey sat up slowly; his blond hair tossed around during his sleep, and said, "You had the dream again, didn't you?" Shinn glared at him. Rey sighed. "Hang on, I'll get you a drink…" He stood up gingerly and walked over to the sink in the corner of the room.

When Rey returned, Shinn accepted the glass of water from him and gulped it down quickly. "Thanks…" he managed.

"Do you think you should see the doctor, Shinn? That's the third time this week you've woken up in a sweat," Rey reminded him.

"I'm fine, Rey," Shinn maintained gruffly. He downed the last of the water and lay back down on the mattress. Rey stared at him for a few seconds and then returned to his own bunk and to sleep.

As he lay there, staring up at the vacant bunk above him, Shinn narrowed his eyes and snarled. That day would never leave his memory. Not until he decided it would. _And it won't…not until the day when I kill that son of a bitch._ _The pilot of that blue mobile suit with the huge cannons! I swore I'd find who you were and kill you on that day…and even though two years may have passed…I still don't have any intention of stopping my hunt any time soon…_

**_-Aprilius One, October 3, C.E. 73, 0230._**

"Junius Seven has accelerated by an additional two percent, General!"

"Get confirmation on the location of our nearest units and report, Private!" Wolff ordered sternly. "Have you been able to reach General Amalfi and the other Council members yet?"

"General Amalfi will on the line shortly, sir. As for the others we've contacted them and they should be on their way to Aprilius as we speak, General."

"Have them escorted to the Council Chamber immediately and brief them on the facts. Don't spare a single detail! Hurry!"

"Take it easy, General," Roske advised. "It won't do any good for you to overreact at this moment."

"_I know that_," Wolff snapped. "What's the present course of its descent?" he asked the soldier manning the console nearest to him.

"It remains on a collision course with Earth, zero, zero, five. Estimated time to impact, eighteen to twenty hours and that's _if_ it maintains its current speed and course."

"Damn. Of all the things to happen, _this_ gets shoved in our faces."

"What the hell happened anyway?" Roske asked patiently. "How'd an object of that size beginning moving in the first place?"

"That's one of the things we're trying to find out," Wolff said.

"Could it have collided with another object? That would most sense," Roske suggested.

"That's what I'm assuming right now, but we don't know much at all now."

"General Amalfi's on the line now, sir!"

Wolff waltzed quickly to the nearest outlet and ripped the receiver out of its holder. "Yuri?"

"Henry, what's the situation? Is Junius Seven really moving?" Yuri demanded. He was staring at a small image that was a duplicate of the one being shown inside Aprilius One's command center.

"It appears so, Yuri. At the moment we don't have any information other than that it _is_ moving. Why we don't know."

"Have you contacted our forces?"

"All available units have been dispatched, but on its current path and speed the only unit close enough that would be able to stop is the Joule Team." Wolff took a deep breath and then continued. "Are you returning to the PLANTs?"

"I'll be on my way shortly," Yuri said. "Tell Yzak that he has full command of the operation once he arrives at Junius Seven. I'm giving him the authority to conduct the operation as he sees fit. All other units that make it are to fall under his command."

"There aren't any other ones that could make it in time, I'm afraid," Wolff reminded him.

"What about the _Minerva_?" Roske broke in. "They should be in that area as we speak after having chased that unidentified vessel into the debris belt."

Wolff paused. He ordered the soldier to bring up the _Minerva_'s location relative to Junius Seven's "Given their speed capabilities they may be able to make it based on their current location and that's _if_ they hurry."

"Have you contacted the Chairman yet?" Yuri asked.

"We're in the process of doing that now," Wolff answered.

"Tell Captain Gladys that she's to head for Junius Seven as soon as the _Minerva_ is ready. I'll leave it up to Gilbert and Eileen if they want to get off, but contact them so we can brief them on the situation," Yuri ordered.

"Yes, sir! Get a transmission to the _Minerva_. Set up a separate line for the Chairman and Representative Canaver to link them to the Council!" Wolff slammed down the receiver and walked beside Roske. "Come, Director. We have a meeting to set up."

_**-Minerva, 0240.**_

_I should be asleep by now._ This was the fourth time Gilbert had told himself this in the last twenty minutes and for the fourth time he remained upright in the chair next to his makeshift desk inside his quarters. It had been like this for many years now. The most he had been able to sleep was approximately five hours a night and that was with the aid of sleeping pills which he had prescribed himself.

As many people knew before he had become Chairman and even before he'd been the commander of the Jachin Due defense fortress, Gilbert had been a doctor. More precisely, he had been a genetic scientist whose expertise included the genetic makeup of both Coordinators and Naturals, so he could administer diagnoses to people of both races. As far as many people on the PLANTs were concerned, he was one of the foremost genetic experts in the world. However, even with all of his training he'd been unable to cure himself of his own problems, including his inability to fall asleep for the necessary time periods. Gilbert had guessed that during his days as a physician when he'd stayed up late into the night working, his body had developed a habit of not shutting down even when he wanted it to. His days at Jachin Due and now as Chairman only served to amplify this problem as far as he was concerned.

Gilbert smiled. It was funny when he thought about it. After all he'd done to help people of both races throughout the past twenty years, the one person he couldn't help was himself.

And of course…there was…one other person…who he couldn't save…

Gilbert's smile disappeared. He glanced slowly to his right, at the small picture frame that he always carried with him. It was now sitting on the desk, staring back at him. Although there weren't any lights on inside the room, he could see the picture clearly. After all, he'd been staring at it every day for the past ten years.

There were four sets of eyes in this photo. One set belonged to himself, his light brown orbs contrasting with the dark purple ones to his immediate left. Those eyes, the most beautiful eyes he'd ever laid his gaze upon, belonged to his wife…Natalie. That woman had meant the world to Gilbert and he had spent nearly fifteen years of his life by her side. He could see her face in the photo. Her black hair pulled back into a bun behind her, her pearly white smile that had intoxicated him for years, and of course her dark violet eyes that had been passed down to the two individuals behind them. Ian and Victoria, their children. They were each eleven and nine respectively in the photo and still were considered young at that time. Even today when they were full grown adult, Gilbert could still see the youngsters that he had raised inside of them. One thing that had resulted in him keeping the photo for so long was the fact that Ian was actually smiling, something Gilbert hadn't seen him do in almost eight years.

_Eight years…has it really been that long…?_ Gilbert sighed and rubbed his eyes. It _had_ been eight years. Eight years since the last time he and Ian had spoken. Eight years since Ian had even acknowledged him. Every time he thought about that day eight years ago, it made his stomach turn. He could still hear himself calling after Ian who had sprinted away from him with tears in his eyes and yet every time Ian didn't turn around and continued running. Gilbert had tried to explain himself multiple times, but Ian wouldn't listen. Eventually Gilbert stopped trying to persuade his son, coming to the conclusion that Ian would serve himself better by just having some time away from him, but it had been eight years and Ian still hadn't changed.

Gilbert looked back at the photo and into his wife's eyes. It had been ten years since she had left him, the only other person he'd been unable to save during those years. He had tried his hardest, but that disease had still taken her, much like it had many others, even to this day. His one failure…

Reaching forward, Gilbert picked up the photo and held it in his hands for a long moment. He ran his index finger over the faces of his daughter, his son, and then his wife. It _had_ been that long. That long since his family had been together…

It was then that Gilbert realized his phone had been ringing for the past few minutes. Setting the photo down on the desk, he silently made his way over to it and picked up the receiver.

Directly above Gilbert's room, the bridge of the _Minerva_ was eerily quiet as Roland stepped through the opened bridge doors to begin his shift after relieving Talia of her duties about ten minutes before. Bart and Meyrin acknowledged him as he passed before Roland descended into the lower part of the bridge where his station was. Ian and Felix were both there on duty. "Got her warmed up?" Roland asked.

"Yeah, she's purring like a kitten," Felix answered. They'd reached a safe location the evening before and had been holding stationary behind an asteroid since then so they could make repairs to the ship.

"I'll take over for you in a few minutes, Felix."

"Thanks, I've been waiting for this," Felix sighed. "How long until we move out?"

"Whenever the Captain decides to move us," Roland responded. "And I don't think she'll move us until repairs are complete."

"They're almost done, though," Ian interrupted. "All the weapons installations are back online and the number two engine just came back to life."

"Great. Maybe we'll be able to get out of here by morning-."

"Lieutenant!"

"Or maybe not," Roland muttered under his breath. He clambered back up the ladder and poked his head out into the upper half of the bridge. "What's wrong, Bart?"

"Sir…y-you better take a look at this." When Roland peeked over Bart's shoulder at the monitor and fully grasped what its readings were telling him, one phrase came to his mind. _What the hell…?_

On a warship of any type, the Captain's quarters are usually more spacious and filled with accessories that any top officer in the military needs. Taking full advantage of one of these benefits, Talia stood beneath the shower head and tilted her head back as the deluge of hot, soothing water cascaded down upon her body. After everything that had happened the day before, it felt as if the water was washing away the strain of battle, leaving Talia fresh and clean for the next day. Running her hands through her dark blond hair, Talia tossed the curls behind her head and flung them about to make sure that every inch was clean.

Talia shut off the shower head and stepped out of her private shower. Wrapping a towel securely around herself, she glanced at herself in the mirror while she combed her hair and replaced her old contact lenses with a new set. Being slightly near-sighted, Talia was required by military standards to wear either glasses or contacts at all times and she had chosen the lenses because she found them less irritating than spectacles.

After completing her tasks, Talia returned to the main part of her quarters and plopped down on the side of her bed. She sat there for several moments so she could just relax for a little bit, something which she didn't get to do much anymore. It was then that her eyes transfixed on the small portrait on the end table beside her bed. There was a small pair of eyes staring back at her whimsically and it made her smile.

Picking up the picture, Talia swung her long legs over the edge of the bed and placed the photo in her lap. This photo meant everything to her now, obviously because the young boy inside it was in fact her son, Gordon. He was five years old now, the spitting image of Talia according to her parents. He was back on the PLANTs now, living with his grandparents who had voluntarily taken him in after Talia enlisted two years ago near the end of the war. She had seen him on very limited occasions since then and it made her sad to think that Gordon would be growing up without her. Of course, it wasn't as if his father had been around _at all_ during those past few years. Talia frowned at the thought of that bastard; the one who had literally stolen her heart when she was younger and then had destroyed it as soon as he got his hands on it. They had gotten married in C.E. 67 and after a year of marriage and shortly after Gordon's birth, he had gone out and left her for no apparent reason, taking everything he owned and much of her money with him. She had never seen him again and she was glad she hadn't because if she had, she would have beaten the living crap out of him at first sight.

After he had left her, Talia raised Gordon on her own, with help from her parents who stuck by her through the entire ordeal, and of course Roland and Arthur helped whenever they could. Talia was extremely thankful to have friends like them who would literally do anything for her ever since they had met when they were in high school. They had been with each other ever since. They had enlisted at approximately the same times and as fate would have it ended up serving on the _Minerva_ together. Her life had been much more joyous ever since she had met them and having Gordon only made her life even more enjoyable. How she longed to see him again…

Talia's computer console began to chime an instant later. She set his picture down on the end table and made her way over to her desk, making sure her towel was wrapped securely. It wouldn't do her any good to give the entire bridge a free show, now would it? "Yes, what is it?" she asked patiently.

"Talia, it's Roland." His voice was unnerving as he spoke, which surprised Talia. "Listen. Sensors just picked up something. You probably should see it…" When the image appeared before her, and after analyzing it for several moments, allowing herself time to double-check it, Talia's palm when straight to her mouth to cover her shock.

The whining blare of the computer console finally jarred Arthur out of his pleasant slumber, his head slowly rising from the pillow. His body was tangled among the thin bed sheets and his front side was remarkably warm. His eyelids sagged and threatened to close, but he managed to restrain them long enough to cast a glance over at the console. It was shining red, which meant that someone was trying to contact him on a secure line. He squinted at the clock beside his bed and dropped his head as he sighed. He rubbed his eyes gently before finally maneuvering himself onto his feet.

After nearly stumbling after his first step, Arthur swung his arms into the sleeves of his woolen robe that was hanging next to the bed and tied the sash around his waist. He ran his hand through his hair and attempted to smooth it out of its current messy state, but it was pretty much a lost cause. He made his way over to the console and typed in a quick command. He then entered his command ID and was granted permission to respond to the incoming message. "…Trine here…" he mumbled, his voice still echoing the tremendous amount of drain he felt at this moment.

"Arthur, it's Gilbert. Listen, something urgent has happened and the Supreme Council's on the line right now. I need to speak with Eileen." Arthur heard something stir behind him. He turned half-way round so he could get a good look at the bed he had just vacated and the beautiful figure that still inhabited it.

He could see her dazzling figure barely covered by the bed sheets she had draped across her well-curved body, a smile on her face as she eyed him. Normally shielded by the confining dignitary clothing she sported as a member of the Council, it was known to very few how striking a figure Eileen actually had. Arthur was one of these people.

"Council…" he whispered quietly. Her eyes closed slowly and he could see her sigh. The sheet dropped momentarily as she reached to the other end of the bed where the end table was in order to grasp her communicator. She propped herself against the head board of the bed and brought the bed sheet up to her chest to make herself appear at least somewhat decent. At the very least it would make it appear that she hadn't been in the heated, passionate embrace of the one she loved for the better part of the last eight hours. She glanced at him and smiled. She made a motion with her index finger that entreated him to her. Arthur obeyed and made his way back to the bed, wrapping his left arm securely around her shoulders. Snuggling up against him, they both watched as the news flashed across the tiny screen of her communicator.

Many would be surprised to find _them_ in such a position, but for those close to them it shouldn't have come as a shock at all. It was to be expected in fact. After all, Eileen's correct last name was in fact Canaver-_Trine_.

They'd met two years before when she had been the PLANTs envoy during the peace negotiations with the Earth Forces at the end of the last war. He had been assigned to the negotiations as diplomatic support personnel for the PLANT representatives and he had worked with Eileen specifically more often than not. They'd spent quite a lot of time together during those months thanks to the circumstances and got to know each other very well. Many of the other PLANT representatives had commented that the two of them made a good pairing and that they both looked happiest when they were in the company of each other. Arthur didn't know when his feelings toward her suddenly turned romantic, but when they had, he fell helplessly for her.

After the negotiations produced the Junius Treaty that ended the war, and also after some heavy prodding from Roland who had been present at the negotiations as well, he had gotten up the courage to ask her out. He was almost positive that she'd say no; she was the Supreme Council Chairwoman at the time and he was but a lowly diplomatic assistant on temporary assignment. Much to his surprise however, she agreed. Their first date went exceptionally well and when he stole a kiss after their second date, he swept her off her feet and carried her all the way to marriage, which came almost a year later.

By this time, Eileen was no longer Chairwoman, but still remained on the Council. One would expect there to be an enormous amount of publicity surrounding the wedding, but thanks to Gilbert's efforts, the ceremony was a rather private and dignified affair, something both of them wanted quite badly. Of course the wedding made headlines in the PLANTs, but it was quickly drowned by the post-war events still pouring into the homelands. After a short but sweet honeymoon, they had gone their separate ways as their respective careers had deemed. They had been able to meet on sporadic occasions over the past six months of marriage and each time had been equally as heated and passionate as this one had. Some couples would have been strained by the long absences of the other, but they had endured it well and had not lost an ounce of love for the other during those long times. As it was often said, they were two people who were meant for each other and every day that passed seemed to confirm that to both Eileen and Arthur.

A perfect example occurred when the final piece of information circulated through the communicator and then disappeared into the confines of cyberspace. Arthur had held her all the while during the briefing and when the critical pieces came flooding in, his hold had grown ever tighter as it was clear she was visibly becoming more unnerved by each piece of new information that came in. The same could be said for him and she had snuggled closer still to him throughout the briefing. Now, with the commotion over, she whispered his name reassuringly and laid her head against his shoulder. He stroked her arm with his fingertips and kissed her forehead gently.

_**-Minerva, 0330.**_

"What? Junius Seven is moving?!" The alarm in Cagalli's voice was evident from the moment she opened her mouth. "But how?"

Across from her, Gilbert and Eileen glanced at each other for a moment, and then Gilbert sighed despairingly. "I have no idea," he responded exhaustedly. "Only that it is in fact moving, at quite a speed and on the most dangerous possible route, I'm afraid." Cagalli exhaled painfully at the admission. Behind her, Athrun's expression remained chiseled in a block of neutrality as he took in the same words.

"The _Minerva_ has been able to confirm the same with her own crew," Eileen added patiently.

"But how could such a thing happen?" Athrun wondered out loud. "It was said to be in a stable orbit for hundreds of years."

Gilbert nodded. "Either a collision with a meteor or some other factor, the bottom line is, it's moving. Even as we speak it's headed for Earth."

Shivering, Cagalli murmured, "If it falls…if it falls, what'll happen to Orb? Or to Earth for that matter?"

"Considering that mass…" Gilbert began, "…I'm sure you already have a god idea, without me telling you, Princess." Cagalli frowned and let her eyes drop between her legs, not wanting to have the idea enter her mind.

"The PLANTs are doing everything they can to find out how this happened as well as how we can avoid a collision," Eileen put in.

"Unfortunately, that includes mobilizing the _Minerva_ for combat yet again," Gilbert said regrettably. "I must apologize for involving you in yet another incident, but I have ordered the _Minerva_ to proceed toward Junius Seven as soon as repairs are finished. Fortunately we happen to be in close proximity, as are some of our other units. If you would like Princess, we'd be glad to transfer you to the _Kusanagi_ before we leave if you don't wish to be personally involved in the operation," he suggested.

"No way!" Even Athrun was surprised by Cagalli's pleading voice. "This is as grave a concern to us…as it is to you. If there is anything we can to do help…the _Kus_-."

"I understand your feelings. But right now, I ask that you remain calm, Princess. If there's anything you can do, we'll be sure to ask you."

"The _Kusanagi_ is more than ready to assist you, Mr. Chairman," Cagalli maintained. "I've personally served with many of the crew on board. They won't allow you to keep them from helping."

Gilbert managed to smile a bit at the remark. "I'm sure they won't, Princess. We greatly appreciate it."

Eileen spoke again. "It may be difficult, but we will try to establish direct contact with your nation. The _Kusanagi_ is probably suffering from the same interference we are at this time."

"Yes, thank you…" Cagalli said weakly, her body giving off another shiver.

Meanwhile, two decks above the room where the leaders of the respective nations were conversing, the bridge was bustling with activity once again. Talia had arrived approximately ten minutes after she'd received the bridge's infrared scans in her quarters. She had been briefed on the primitive facts that had been collected so far and yet she still failed to grasp a comprehensive understanding of what was happening. "How much longer until we can get underway, Felix?" she demanded.

"Chief's saying that the ship will be ready to move in half an hour, Captain," Felix reported.

"We'll have about an hour and a half to try and stop it if we travel at top speed to its estimated descent point," Arthur said beside her.

"That's not taking into account any other increases in speed," Talia admitted. "How could this have happened?" she asked, echoing the question many of the crew were themselves wondering.

"Captain, I have an incoming transmission on a secure line. Library indicates the point of origin is the _Vesalius_," Bart reported.

"That's Lieutenant Colonel Ades and Commander Joule. Put them through, Bart," Talia ordered.

Yzak Joule's outer shell had changed little since the war two years earlier. When he appeared on the _Minerva_'s view screen moments later, the only difference between his current self and the person he'd been two years ago was the white commander's uniform he now sported. His silver hair was still of considerable length, stretching down to cover his ears, and his blue eyes were still the same reflection of the deepest parts of the ocean. Beside him in the Captain's chair, Frederick Ades, his brown hair now frosted with gray along his sideburns, adorned in a black officer's uniform and white boots, cleared his throat and addressed Talia and the others on the bridge. "Captain Gladys. It's good to see you again."

"You as well, Lieutenant Colonel. Commander."

"How are repairs to the _Minerva _proceeding, Captain?" Yzak asked seriously.

"They'll be completed momentarily," Talia responded.

Yzak blinked and licked his lips. "I've been given command of the operation involving Junius Seven. As soon as the _Minerva_ is set to fly, I want you to proceed to Junius Seven at top speed, though I'm sure that Chairman Dullindal has already given you that order."

"Will there be others units accompanying us?" Talia asked.

"Unfortunately, your ship and our own are the only ones within effective range, so it appears as if we're on our own," Yzak admitted. Talia could hear Arthur gulp, but ignored it. In fact, she would have liked to have done the same thing, but restrained herself from doing so.

"I've reviewed the situation as it has been presented to me," Yzak continued. "Normal weapons won't make a dent in the PLANT's exterior, so we'll have to utilize methods a little more primitive. What we're planning to do is use a variation of the meteor breaker technology that the PLANTs developed and drill into the crust of Junius Seven in order to break it down into smaller pieces. The only way to set them up however is to have our mobile suits drag them into place and it'll take more than one to put a single breaker into place."

"In other words, the mobile suits will have to do most of the work," Talia echoed.

Yzak nodded. "We have more than enough meteor breakers at our disposal to break Junius Seven down into manageable pieces," Ades added, "but the problem will be, as the Commander stated, getting them into place safely. We'll need every mobile suit available to take part in order for this to work."

"What would you like us to do then, Commander?"

"Right now, just concentrate on getting here," Yzak answered carefully. "Once you're here, we'll decide on what has to happen..."

_**-Outskirts of Madrid, Spain, 0900.**_

Daylight had crept over the vast horizon of green knolls merely hours before and yet the land surrounding the rural mansion was bustling with such activity that people oblivious to the actual time would have thought it was midday. On the grounds just below the hill which the mansion rested on, riders on horseback circled an enclosed area of grass as a means of recreation. Many were finely clothed in expensive material that would be far too expensive for normal citizens to don, including riding jackets made from the furs of exotic animals and steel toed boots that helped them to keep their grip on the horses from slacking. The wealth that seemed to cascade from the riders was only eclipsed by the mansion itself. It was two stories tall, blood red bricks making up a large portion of the exterior, with white awnings over the doors and windows that were large enough to encompass an entire person's figure. Flower beds were placed meticulously below all the windows, so they could be easily accessed by servants from inside the mansion, and these only added the beauty that the mansion extolled.

Deep inside the confines of the mansion, in what would be considered a ballroom by normal housing standards, but for a mansion of this size it was merely known as a rumpus room, several other well dressed individuals lazily frolicked around doing various things that their inconspicuous amounts of wealth would allow them to do, even on a day that was becoming more frantic by the minute as information regarding the upcoming tragedy came streaming in.

The room's big-screen, and in this case big-screen meant _big_-screen, the lights from camera flashes were the only thing that deterred from the image of the handsome young man standing at the podium speaking to reporters. This young man was about twenty years old, with long blue hair tied into an exotic looking pony-tail, a strong, athletic build, dressed impeccably in a maroon red suit with a white shirt and collar, and spoke with a voice as melodic as it was serious.

Questions, inaudible to the camera that he was staring into, flooded toward him whenever he ceased speaking. Raising a hand to try to dispel the chaos that was beginning to grip the room, he spoke meticulously, "I understand that many of you are just as concerned as everyone else about the current situation, but I can assure you that we are doing out utmost to resolve this situation before it escalates. However, as I stated before, the gravity and timing of this situation has severely limited our capabilities at this point."

He paused. "Once again, I reiterate to you what we of the Orb Representative Council have received in the way of information within the past few hours. As reported, Junius Seven _is_ indeed moving on a course that will eventually bring it into the Earth's gravity well and pull it down to the ground resulting in a possibly catastrophic collision. We have spoken to members of the Atlantic Federation, the Eurasian Federation, and the PLANTs and have been assured that everything that can be done _is_ being done to combat the present crisis. As the PLANTs are in the best position to attempt a solution to this problem, they have taken action and are in pursuit of Junius Seven as we speak, but they have remained very realistic to the fact that even their best efforts may not be enough to prevent a collision."

"What do you advise the citizens of Orb to do at this point, Representative Seiran?" The camera was able to pick out that question among the throng of others being directed at the speaker.

"The Representative Council has issued preliminary evacuation orders to coastline areas and is advising everyone within close proximity to the coasts to move inland for their own safety. Since most of this planet is water, it is more likely that Junius Seven will cause significant damage to locations close to the oceans. Therefore, all cities near the coast have received evacuation orders and the Orb military is in the process of assisting the general populous in carrying out those orders."

"What about the Chief Representative-?"

"Turn that blasted television off," came an order from the far side of the rumpus room. Those who were watching the press conference whirled around to glance at the speaker, but when they turned around, his back was to them.

"You are growing tired of the same situation in every nation?" one man inquired.

"No…I just can't stand the way that boy's voice sounds."

When the television was switched off, the only sound that could be heard in the room was the clanking of billiard balls colliding on the table that two of the well-dressed individuals were looking down upon. The early morning sunlight was beaming through an open window on the side of the room, offering a slight deviance from the darkness that was presently encompassing the large room. After dropping three ice cubes into his newly prepared beverage, Lord Djibril turned to face his companions. "I'm assuming that all of you have received enough briefing on the situation via our own sources so to be staring at the meager announcements the television has to offer."

"You're correct. But still, as they said, this situation is terrible."

"Indeed, it is an unprecedented danger. A scenario for Earth's destruction." A quiet murmur of agreement began to sweep the room up. Djibril remained quiet and took a lazy gulp from his drink, which stung his throat as it slid into his insides, and waited for the commotion to die down. "It's something that literally no one on Earth would have believed could happen until today," the man next to Djibril said, echoing the statements made by every individual in the room.

"What is currently being done regarding the situation, Djibril?" an older gentleman with a silvery beard inquired from across the room.

"I've ordered Phantom Pain to return and investigate it, just in case," Djibril answered quietly. "They're in close proximity to it anyway."

"Will things be all right?"

"What good will an investigation do at this point?"

"Things will be fine," Djibril said. "All of you have been briefed on what is likely to happen and are now can set up your own defenses in the face of the coming danger."

"So why are we meeting then, Djibril?" the man next to him asked again, while fixing himself a drink.

Djibril took another sip. "To be honest, I'm very shocked about what has happened." He seemed to be staring off into space. "Junius Seven? How could it be? Why in the world? At first that's all I could think about."

"Forget the prelude Djibril," one of the billiards players reiterated angrily. "Get to the point."

"No, this is precisely the point. Given the situation, eventually the whole world will be asking those same questions." Many in the room proceeded to nod. "Then we in return must provide them with answers." The quiet murmur picked up again. Djibril's expression lightened, his intentions finally dawning on his conspicuants. "Dullindal and the Council of the PLANTs have already issued a warning to all Earth nations and sent the message that they are doing everything within their power to avoid a collision and deal with the situation."

"Dullindal was very quick to do so."

"They're panicking as well…"

Djibril's fellow drinker glanced at him. "Then perhaps this really was caused naturally. But, if so…"

"No, none of that is important anymore." Djibril downed the last of his drink and set the glass down gently on the counter behind him. He brought his arm to his side and raised it. "What's important is what happens after this disaster. When the people search for answers as they weep the answers _we_ provide them will be important."

"You're already thinking that far ahead?" the older gentleman asked incredulously.

"Of course. Regardless of what caused it it's a fact that one clumsy, stupid object above our heads is going to fall to Earth very soon! Think about it! Because of that thing, we end up looking spineless as we run around trying to find a way out of the mess! Somebody must pay for this humiliation. But who? Why of course, the Coordinators who built that thing in the first place! Am I wrong?"

Murmurs began to escalate. "No, you're right…"

The man next to Djibril set his drink down. "That's fine with me, but…at this rate…depending on the casualties incurred…we may no longer have the strength to fight a war, Djibril."

"That's why I have gathered you here today, Hawkins." Djibril faced all of his guests and added, "Taking shelter and escaping are fine, but immediately after that, we will attack them at once, with the plan. I wanted you all to understand this beforehand."

"I see. With a growing hatred for the Coordinators the people will be fired up. They will fight. We'll be uniting them, I imagine. With a love called 'hatred'."

"If there are any left that is…"

Hawkins spoke. "It appears that everyone approves of the plan, Djibril."

"Thank you very much. Then we shall meet next after the incident. I will have a detailed plan prepared by then. That is all, gentleman."

As the caucus began to disintegrate until only Hawkins and Djibril remained in the gigantic rumpus room, Djibril could tell that his companion was hiding something. When he inquired what is was, Hawkins sighed. "I don't have any doubt that many of the nations on Earth will be influenced by what we tell them. The only problem is the other nations…"

Djibril smiled. "You're referring to the two that have been constant thorns in our sides ever since the end of the war." Hawkins nodded. "Don't worry, I'll deal with it."

"This entire plan will depend on how many casualties there will be," Hawkins reiterated.

"It doesn't matter," Djibril said, moving toward the billiards table, where many of the hard surface balls were still scattered. He picked up one of them and held it carefully in his palm. "We will crush them after this. For the preservation of our blue and pure world!" With a great heave, the ball was thrust through the nearby window, shattering glass and streaming more of the early morning sunlight into the room.

**_-Minerva, 8000 km from Junius Seven, 1100._**

"Man, it's _that_ bad?"

Ian didn't glance at Vino. He continued to examine the machine in front of him and try to locate his beverage of choice. "What did you expect?" he asked. "It's a really big object being pulled in by Earth's gravity."

The _Minerva_ had been underway for about seven hours now, racing as quickly as it could to Junius Seven, which was continuing to increase in speed the closer it got to the Earth. A rare moment of downtime was being allowed by the officer's so that the crew could rest up for the conflict that was on the horizon. Both Meyrin and Ian had arrived moments before and had briefed the occupants of the break room on the situation as of that moment. Among those involved in the conversation were Shinn, Lunamaria, Rey, Vino, Yolant, and several other supporting members of the crew.

"Yeah. But how could it have moved?" Vino asked to no one in particular.

"Either a meteorite hit it, or there was some other influence that altered its orbit," Ian answered after receiving his drink and taking a sip.

"And it's really on a collision course with Earth?" Shinn asked him.

"Whatever the case is, something happened to cause it to start moving and now it's on a collision course with Earth. Those are the facts that we know to be true."

Lunamaria sighed and leaned back deeply into the confines of the sofa she currently lounged on. "At Armory One, we have the robbery, and then before that's settled this happens? What's going on?"

A short distance away, in the corridor adjacent to the break room, both Cagalli and Athrun walked together with heavy steps and equally heavy minds. "I understand the situation, but what should we do?" Cagalli asked him.

Athrun thinned his lips. "Smash it to pieces," he said simply.

"Smash it?" Vino said incredulously.

"That thing?" Meyrin added.

Rey nodded. "It's impossible to change its orbit. If we want to avoid a collision, we have no choice but to smash it to pieces. Am I wrong, Ian?"

"That's what it sounded like Commander Joule was planning to do," Ian agreed. "It makes sense once you think about."

"But that thing's huge!" Vino added. "Even to split it in half, it has a diameter of at least eight kilometers. Can't we just launch some missiles into it and blow it up?"

"Are you kidding? That thing's made of armor strong enough to absorb a direct hit by any normal laser cannon, missile, and plasma cannon that's been conceived. The only thing we have at our disposal that would only do so much as put a dent into that thing is the Tanhauser, and unless we get _really_ close to it, we're not going to get an accurate shot off," Ian finished.

"Not to mention that many bodies are still inside of it," Meyrin added darkly.

At this point, Cagalli and Athrun had arrived in the vicinity of the break room and had been listening in on the conversation for the past few moments. "But if it collides, Earth will be annihilated," Rey pointed out. "After that, nothing will remain. Not even those living on Earth now." An eerily silence crept across the room and the corridor, leaving the entire area draped in quiet.

"Earth…destroyed?" Yolant sighed. "But, well, I guess it can't be helped, can it?" In the doorway, Cagalli stiffened. Many in the room eyed the young mechanic quizzically. "It's beyond our control. But it might end up being easier for us on the PLANTs since it'll eliminate all kinds of hassles."

"Yolant-," Lunamaria began to scold him.

"How can you guys talk like that?" All eyes suddenly snapped towards the doorway, where Cagalli was now well into the room, her eyes blazing in anger directed towards Yolant. "'It can't be helped?' 'End up making easier?'" Athrun, who had attempted to stop her initially, now only stood by and watched. Those who were sitting had sprung to their feet as she entered and now only watched. "Do you have any idea how serious this is? What could happen to Earth? How many people will die as a result? Do you guys realize what you're saying? Is that the way you people from ZAFT think? We went through that war! And we all suffered! And finally, under Chairman Dullindal's administration things seemed to be changing! Is that not the case?"

There was silence. "Stop it, Cagalli…" Athrun whispered, trying to draw her back out of the room.

"She's right." Startled expressions turned towards Ian. "You should apologize Yolant." He approached Cagalli. He said seriously, "He didn't mean what he said, Representative. We were merely discussing what would happen if Junius Seven were to fall to Earth and he spoke out of line. I can honestly say that we all didn't mean-."

"He's right! Can't you even tell the difference?" Ian visibly stiffened. Cagalli glanced over his shoulder towards Shinn, who had uttered the words.

"How dare you?" Cagalli howled.

"Shinn, wait-!" Ian said vainly.

"Oh, that's right. This person is important, isn't she," Shinn went on.

"_Shinn…_" Ian continued to try to get Shinn to stop.

"Shinn, please…" Rey added.

"She's Orb's Representative, after all."

"That's it, I give up," Ian sighed exasperated, slowly moving away from the conversation that was growing more heated by the second.

"You…"

"Put a lid on it, Cagalli!" Athrun said finally. Shinn eyed him. "I take it you dislike Orb. May I ask why? I hear you used to live there. If you're trying to pick a fight with the Representative for some unrelated, trivial reason, I won't allow it."

"Trivial? I won't allow anyone to call it trivial!" Shinn fired back. "And unrelated? You're wrong on that account as well!" Shinn walked slowly towards Athrun until he was directly in front of him, staring into his eyes with the full force of his own. "My family was killed because of the Athhas!" Athrun reeled back. "We believed in the nation, and we believed in your so-called ideals. And in the end, my family was killed at Onogoro!" He moved his stare to take in Cagalli. "That's why I will never believe you! And I will never believe in the nation of Orb! I'll never believe any of your idealism again! When you said you'd protect the nation's justice did you ever stop to think how many lives would be lost as a result of your insistence?"

"When the Earth Forces attacked, you weren't even there! You were up on some colony doing who-knows what, when Orb needed you!"

"Shinn!" Rey called.

"I don't want someone who doesn't have a clue to talk like she knows everything," Shinn said, his voice much quieter now.

The room plunged into silence once again. No one said a word. Athrun continued to stare directly into Shinn's eyes and attempted to decipher what the reasons for his outburst were. Eventually, his stare turned to his left, to where Ian had ventured after his attempt to stop the argument from starting. He merely glanced at Athrun in return; his eyes seeming to tell him, _now would probably be a good time of for you to leave._

Athrun took the hint and began to shuffle Cagalli out of the room. Once she was safely outside, he glanced back in at Shinn, who now had his back turned to him and was retreating back towards the view port at the back of the room. "You know…" Shinn cast a glance at him over his shoulder. "She lost a lot of close friends during the war. Her father too." With that, he too was gone. Shinn watched the doorway for a few seconds more, then shrugged, and acted as if nothing had happened.

Those remaining in the room didn't say anything for some time. While some stared at Shinn, others stared at the floor, at the ceiling, or at nothing. "Why didn't you try to stop him?" Ian looked at Meyrin, who was staring back at him.

"What the hell was I gonna do?" he whispered back. "_You_ wanna try to stop him when he goes on one of his rants?" He took a final sip from his drink and nothing more was said.

**_-Girty Lue, 7000 km from Junius Seven, 1330._**

Junius Seven looked like an hour-glass that had spent several months inside of a microwave and as a result had become warped and mangled to the point where it no longer looked like an hour glass. At least, that was how the hologram on the _Girty Lue's_ command deck made it appear to be. Neo nodded to the technician sitting next to him, who in turn typed in a series of codes and frequencies on the console in front of him. The hologram in front of them expanded, producing new images of the Earth which appeared as a giant blue sphere, Junius Seven as a miniature version of the hologram they had just been watching, and the _Girty Lue_ as a small red fixture miniscule in size when compared to the other two objects.

"This is our current position relative to Junius Seven," Neo began coolly. He spoke more to the holographic images than to Orga and Sting to his left, or Auel and Stella to his right, who looking at the display from a different side. "Based on information we've received it is headed on a direct course towards Earth. The only question we don't have answered is _why_."

"I'm guessing that's why we had to turn around all of sudden," Auel said.

Neo nodded. "Our superiors want us to investigate Junius Seven while it's still in orbit and determine what in fact caused this to happen. The logical findings would be that something natural caused it-."

"Meaning a meteor or something else really big," Sting interrupted. He brought his cigarette to his lips and inhaled the intoxicating white clouds the device emitted. "That's probably the most practical way this could have happened, but…"

"It could be something else," Orga finished for him. Sting glared at Orga who offered him a smirk that seemed to say _yeah, that's right, I interrupted you!_

"In any case," Neo interjected, "We're presently en route to Junius Seven. You should prepare yourselves for anything in the time we have remaining."

Sting was the first to leave, puffing profusely on his cigarette as he carefully trekked down the small set of stairs that led out of the room. Auel came beside him. "Time to hit the gym?"

Sting smiled. "What else am I going to do before a battle?"

"Who said anything about a battle?" Auel asked curiously.

Flicking his cigarette away with his finger, Sting ran a greasy hand through his hair. "You heard Neo. We have to _prepare_ ourselves for anything."

Stella was the only remaining member of the trio still in the room. Neo nudged himself closer to her. "Stella?" he whispered. She glanced up at him. Neo smiled. He reached forward to stroke her blonde hair. "It's alright Stella. Everything will be alright." Stella stared into his eyes, his artificial red eyes that were lodged in his mask, and eventually smiled.

Meanwhile on the _Minerva_, Athrun returned from the ship's mess hall with cold drinks in both of his hands. He punched in the access code to Cagalli's room and stepped inside. The room was draped in darkness, the only light coming from the computer console screen that was beside the room's only bed. Cagalli was hunched over in the chair beside the computer, her expression pointed down towards the floor, blond hair covering most of her face. Although he couldn't see her expression, Athrun knew by the way she was sitting that it wasn't one of promise.

"Cagalli…" he said quietly. She didn't budge. Athrun sighed. Setting both drinks down on the desk, he dropped down onto his knees and placed his hand on the arm-rest of her chair. "There's no use thinking about it, Cagalli," he told her. "You knew very well that there would be people like that."

He heard her sigh through her nose. "But…for him to talk about my father that way!" She was trembling now. Athrun could feel it in the way the chair was moving beneath his palm. "That day…what I saw that day was equally as horrible…!" Athrun frowned. He knew what Cagalli was referring to. He'd been there at Gyndana as well. The Orb colony had been on the receiving end of a sneak attack by the Earth Forces and was completely destroyed, along with virtually its entire population of civilians. Compared to what happened on the homeland that day… _No! It doesn't matter how bad one was compared to the other!_ Athrun realized that people had died on both battlefields and that comparing them wasn't an option.

"My father suffered a great deal over the decisions he made…" Cagalli continued in a hushed voice. Athrun knew this too. Uzumi Nara Athha had given his life so that people such as Athrun and Cagalli could end the war and prevent the loss of more lives. His was one of the great sacrifices of the war. "Yet he…"

Athrun's arms encircled her body. "There's nothing we can do about that now," he whispered, trying to comfort her. "Asking him to try and understand won't help. Right now, there's no way he could understand. I'm sure its overwhelming enough for him to deal with his own feelings." He brought her face close to his. "You do realize that, don't you Cagalli?" He could see the tears beginning to well up in her eyes. Suddenly, she lurched out of the chair, taking him down onto his back, her arms stretching around his neck and holding him tight, her body continuing to tremble. Athrun wrapped his arms around her and held her while she cried. He held her until her own tears and sorrow drove her to sleep.

_**-ZAFT warship Vesalius, 1500 km from Junius Seven, 1900. **_

"Man…look at the size of that thing…"

Yzak frowned. He glanced to his right and said, "What did you expect, Dearka? Of course it's huge, we _live_ on these things."

Beside him, Dearka shrugged. "I know that! I commented on its size because I realize how daunting a mission this is." He sighed. "Are you sure the Meteor Breakers will be able to do enough to break that thing up."

"The Meteor Breaker was primarily designed to break apart asteroids that were a threat to Earth," Ades informed them. He was seated in his Captain's chair, accessing files via the console built into his seat. "Along with the ones that we have on board, the _Voltaire_ and the _Rousseau_ have more than enough power to break apart Junius Seven. The real problem is going to be getting them into place in time."

Yzak glanced at the holographic display he and Dearka stood beside. There was a map of Junius Seven currently projected, and all across it were red lines. The red lines formed several edged shapes, each one marked with a number. "We have seventeen Meteor Breakers. If we place them correctly would should be able to break it up into manageable pieces and possibly even stop its descent altogether." He turned to one of the bridge crew. "What's the _Minerva_ and _Kusanagi's_ current status?"

"They're currently at green alpha mark twenty-four, Commander. They're about forty-five minutes behind us."

"We'll have to provide support for ourselves until they arrive," Yzak mumbled. "Dearka, I want you and Shiho to lead the team in support of the Meteor Breaker units. I'll follow you as soon as the situation allows. And remember, it's not as if we have a lot of time! The _Minerva's_ on its way, but we have to work effectively."

"Roger," Dearka said smartly as he kicked off the deck and headed toward the lift behind the bridge.

On the _Minerva_, things were even less optimistic. "With the ZAKU we obtained from Armory One, we currently have five combat capable mobile suits on board. However, that's not very much when the situation is taken into account." Talia sighed. "I can't guarantee that we'll be of much help to the Joule team at Junius Seven, Mr. Chairman."

Gilbert, sitting behind Talia in one of the observation chairs, folded his hands in his lap. "The most important thing is that we do what we can, Talia. Numbers don't matter in a situation such as this. The determination to succeed does. And that is what I expect from all of you as well!" he added, addressing the present bridge crew, which included Meyrin, Bart, Felix, Ian, and Roland, as well as Talia. "Regardless of the past, Earth is our homeland as well. It is our duty as citizens to do what it takes to protect it. I expect the best out of all of you!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Have you been in contact with the _Kusanagi_, Talia?" Gilbert inquired.

Talia glanced out the view port toward the _Minerva_'s starboard side, where the _Izumo_-class warship was cruising at a pace equal to that of the _Minerva's_. "We have been in contact with them and they've pledged their full support to the operation, but as of now-."

"I have an incoming transmission from the _Kusanagi_, Captain!" _Speak of the Devil!_ Talia thought.

Mwu and Jackson appeared on screen moments later. After Talia explained the situation, Mwu sighed. "Then that means the best thing that we can do is provide support to Commander Joule's units while they break up Junius Seven, right? Well, I guess there's some things that have to be done."

"How many mobile suits do you have at your disposal General?" Talia asked. She had refrained from using a last name because she wasn't quite sure what she should call him at this point.

Mwu glanced at Jackson. "We're running full aren't we?" Jackson nodded. "Then that makes sixteen M1's." Talia's eyes widened. Mwu seemed to notice this and smiled. "Does that make a difference in the outcome you had foreseen, Captain?" Talia squirmed slightly.

Gilbert spoke. "You realize that every nation on the Earth and the PLANTs will be forever in your debt thanks to your efforts, regardless of the outcome of what happens here today, General. Captain."

"It's our duty when you think about it, Mr. Chairman," Mwu responded. "We're all citizens of Earth. And as citizens, we have a duty to protect it." Gilbert smiled. Talia did as well, but for a different reason. The similarities between the Chairman and the General just kept adding up, to the point where Talia was actually beginning to question whether they were related or not.

A moment after the transmission ended the bridge doors sighed open. Athrun, after having made sure that Cagalli had fallen sound asleep, had ventured through the ship and had eventually made his way to the bridge. "Can you get a line to the _Vesalius_?" Talia asked.

"Not at this point, ma'am. There's too much debris in Junius Seven's wake to open a normal line to their current position," Meyrin reported.

"Felix, can you get us out of Junius Seven's shadow for a moment?"

"Not without decreasing speed, Captain," he said sadly.

Gilbert noticed Athrun's entrance and glanced back at him. "What's the matter, Athrun? Oh wait…it's Alex wasn't it?" By now both Talia and Roland had also noticed his presence and had turned to face him.

Athrun blinked. "I ask you this, even though I know it's unconventional. Please lend me one of your mobile suits!" Talia tried to hide her apparent shock, but a slight bit managed to escape into her expression. "I know you have a spare unit, based on the number of pilots the ship currently has on board."

Talia looked at Roland who in turn only looked back at her. "…That would certainly be very difficult to do…" Talia said, trying to find the right words without looking hypocritical. "Do you seriously think I could authorize that, under the circumstances? Do you want to put Representative Canaver's efforts to waste?"

Athrun nodded. "I understand the situation completely. But given the gravity of the situation, I can't just watch and do nothing. If you have a machine that's usable, then please!"

"He has a point-," Roland started to say, but he was interrupted.

"Very well, I'll authorize it." All eyes quickly focused on Gilbert. "Under my authority as Chairman, for special cases," he continued.

"M-Mr. Chairman…" Talia stammered.

"This is not a battle situation, Captain. As you said, the more machines we can get out there, the better. And you're well aware of his great skills as a pilot."

Talia considered it for a few more moments. She sighed. "You're correct, Mr. Chairman. Very well, then…Alex. Go to the third deck and get ready. I'll inform Chief Aves that you'll be launching in the fifth unit."

"Thank you!"

Athrun retreated back through the bridge doors and left the command deck as it had once been. Bart summoned Roland over and presented him with a disk. "This is last piece of information you wanted, Lieutenant."

"Thank you, Bart. Now I have everything I need." Roland pocketed the disk into his jacket.

"Time for the briefing?" Talia asked him.

"Yes, Captain. I'll be back shortly." He turned to leave, but Talia stopped him.

"Roland." He glanced back at her. "Could I ask you something…on a personal level?" He nodded. "Truthfully, what do you think of the situation currently? What do you think our chances of succeeding are…?"

He looked away. Talia began to wonder whether or not she should have asked him that, but before the thought could fully compensate, he spoke. "Overall…I'd say it's pretty much hopeless." Talia was startled. "But then again…" he glanced back at her. He was smiling. "Wasn't that the same thing people were saying about us at the start of the last war? That our cause was pretty much hopeless? We did alright back then, didn't we? So why should this be any different?" Talia finally smiled back at him. He saluted and promptly left the bridge.

Outside the bridge doors, Arthur took Eileen into his arms. "I wish you would've left already," he said quietly.

"I'll leave when I have to," Eileen reassured him. "Besides, I don't know how long it will be before I can see you again. I want to have as much time with you as I possibly can before I go."

Arthur smiled. "Well in that case…" He kissed her warmly. "Just in case I don't get to do that again for a while." Eileen returned his smile and kissed him back.

They made their way towards the bridge doors, which had already opened to admit Roland into the corridor to which they were currently positioned. "Representative!" Roland said, saluting as he passed. Eileen saluted back, as did Arthur. "Nice job, loverboy." Arthur stiffened. Ahead, he could hear Eileen laugh quietly and he dropped his head in embarrassment.

_**-Junius Seven, 1930.**_

Dearka was surprised at how heavy the Meteor Breakers actually were. In all, it took three mobile suits each to carry a single specimen from their respective warships and transport it to Junius Seven. Luckily for them, they'd had more than enough machines to carry out the task, but it was still alarming at how many it would take to move the objects into position.

After launching from the _Vesalius_ in his newly commissioned Gunner ZAKU Warrior, Dearka, along with Shiho Hainenfuss, and the rest of the Joule team excluding Yzak, he began the long, slow trek towards Junius Seven, now looming large through the transparent canopy of his cockpit.

The closer they got to Junius Seven, the more cold and depressed Dearka began to feel. This was after all, the place where 243,721 Coordinators just like himself had been murdered during the Bloody Valentine three years before. This was the place where the war had begun, the war that had almost gotten him killed. This was the place where many fellow humans, like himself, rested eternally. However, if they succeeded here, their grave would be destroyed. Dearka couldn't help but contemplate whether or not it was right to disturb a grave sight, but quickly shook the thought away. They had a mission to complete here and completing that mission would save many more lives on the Earth below. Dearka decided then: destroying one grave sight to prevent another from being erected was a job that had to be done.

The journey took less than ten minutes. Dearka and Shiho split the mobile suit team, which was made up of newer GuAIZ R units, into two groups, each of them leading a separate unit. Dearka indicated several locations on the schematic of Junius Seven where the pilots were to set-up the Meteor Breakers for the demolition. Those transporting the Meteor Breakers set about their jobs while the rest of the unit provided cover from above.

While the process continued, Dearka glided above the surface of the old PLANT and retreated into his thoughts for a moment. This place contained so many memories that he would gladly forget. Despicable acts he himself had perpetrated had been inadvertently caused by Junius Seven's destruction. In a way, it was almost as if destroying Junius Seven would mean a small step towards leaving those bad memories behind. Dearka was at least grateful for that.

The rifle shot and subsequent explosion of one of the GuAIZ units snapped Dearka out of his thoughts. He frantically scanned the area for the source and by the time he found it, his console was screaming a warning to him. He jerked his control stick hard to the right and dove down towards Junius Seven's surface. The ZAKU beside him wasn't as quick and it took a rifle shot directly to the torso, incinerating it instantly. "What the hell…?" Dearka mumbled. He leveled off just a short distance above the surface and up righted his ZAKU, bringing his large beam rifle to bear. He saw something approaching fast from his right. It was a group of three mobile suits, with rifles blasting away at Dearka and the other ZAFT pilots. What shocked Dearka the most however, was the fact that the mobile suits firing at him were GINNs.

He dodged a series of shots and sought cover behind an outreaching piece of Junius Seven and watched as the GINNs fired on the nearest Meteor Breaker, severing its legs and causing it to collapse onto its side with a mighty roar. Dearka keyed his radio and shouted, "Shiho!"

"I know!" came the gargled response. "They're over here too!"

"Who are these guys?" Dearka demanded. He didn't have time to wonder however, as another group op GINNs sighted his ZAKU and opened fire on him. Forced into another evasive maneuver, Dearka was able to keep his radio line open and get a channel through to the _Vesalius_. "Yzak!"

"What's going on Dearka?"

"We've got trouble! Uh…some guys in GINNs are attacking the Breakers…!"

"GINNs…?" Yzak said aloud. Ades glanced at him curiously, but Yzak didn't answer. He was already turning around and heading out of the bridge. "Get my ZAKU ready, Ades!"

With the _Minerva_ still a good distance behind the _Vesalius_ and the other _Nazca's_, the mobile suit pilots hadn't the slightest indication of what was waiting ahead of them when they entered Briefing Room #2.

Shinn had been there for some time, sitting by himself, glancing at the pink cell-phone that had once belonged to his younger sister and scanning through the photos she had stored inside of it before she had died. Rey entered clad in his pilot's suit while he was in the process of looking. Shinn glanced at him. "What is it?" Rey inquired.

"Nothing," Shinn responded, returning to the photos in front of him.

Rey sat down beside him on one of the sofas. "Don't worry about it." Shinn faced him. "I'm not upset. What you said was correct."

Within moments, Brad, Lunamaria, and Roland had all arrived. "I'll try to make this as quick as possible because I know we're short on time," Roland announced as he set up his display in the center of the room.

The door began to close after the last of them entered, but it was suddenly forced open once again. All eyes widened when Athrun, clad in a red and white pilot suit floated silently into the room and closed the door behind him. No one said anything; all they did was stare. "What?" Athrun asked defensively.

"He's been given permission to launch with us," Roland reiterated. "Naturally, he'll be taking part in the briefing with us."

"Go ahead with it then," Brad said. Roland nodded.

The lights in the room dimmed and the holographic display came to life. Images materialized into the shapes of the Earth, Junius Seven, and smaller dots indicating warships like the _Minerva_ and the _Vesalius_. "Junius Seven's descent angle has not deviated from its projected course since the last reports were given to us. The only change in its descent has been a slight increase in speed of three percent in the past three hours. However, speed is likely to increase drastically once it reaches the upper atmosphere, so we must act quickly." Roland cleared his throat. The image zoomed in specifically on Junius Seven and several red dots began to sprout along the surface of the PLANT. "The Joule Team has already launched with a set of seventeen Meteor Breakers that will be strategically positioned at designated points along Junius Seven's surface so that demolition will be more complete when finished. Commander Joule has been given command of the mission and all orders will be relayed via him to the other units."

"Your assignment is to support the Joule Team in any way they see necessary." _Yzak!_ Athrun thought, alarmed. "Initial reports indicate that your primary mission will be to cover the mobile suits setting up the Meteor Breakers and prevent them from encountering any trouble in due course of their objectives. In addition, if you should come across any evidence as to why Junius Seven was set into motion in the first place, you are instructed to record your findings and transmit them immediately to the nearest warship. If Junius Seven dips too low into the atmosphere, your mobile suits will not be able to stand the strain put on them. Therefore, when the specific altitude has been reached, you are to immediately return to the _Minerva_ and await instructions. We have received word that the _Kusanagi_ itself will also be sending out its own units, so work with them to the best of your ability. Otherwise, there is nothing more to say. Good luck."

"All hands proceed to Condition Red! All hands proceed to Condition Red!" The warning came the moment Roland finished speaking. Without another word, all the pilots proceeded to the hangar deck while Roland sprinted back towards the bridge.

"All hands stand-by for further instructions," Talia ordered. "Have all weapons set to stand-by, but do not load them. Maintain this heading, Felix!"

The _Kusanagi_ was in much the same state. "All mobile suits are to stand-by at the end of the catapult and await launch," Joshua informed the deck crew.

"All machines have been prepped and are ready to launch at your orders, Captain," Chief Nathan Kellhorn said, though it was more of a gobble thanks to the cigarette lodged between his lips. He tilted at his glasses and gestured behind him. "Strap yourselves in, we're almost there!"

"Keep us on this course, Sera," Mwu ordered calmly. He still hadn't quite gotten used to ordering people around on the bridge. It was still an entirely new philosophy for him, even after all this time. "At the first sign of trouble, prepare for combat Captain."

"Yes, sir."

"Distance to Junius Seven, 1300, Captain," Bart reported to Talia. "Current speed is concurrent to the last report."

"Chief Aves reports that all mobile suits are prepared to launch at your order, Captain," Meyrin added.

"Tristans and Isolde have been activated, all weapons are ready and remain unloaded," Ian said.

"Prepare for launch."

"Three minutes to mobile suit launch. All pilots are to stand by aboard their machines and await instructions." Brad reached his open cockpit the moment Meyrin finished. Aves was waiting for him there.

"We've repaired your arms and given you a new finish on the top guns," he said.

"Thanks. I owe you one, Chief." Brad slid into the cockpit of his ZAKU.

"Just stop that thing and we'll call it even!" Giving Aves a thumbs up, Brad shut the cockpit hatch.

Lunamaria and Rey clambered into their own cockpits while Yolant assisted Athrun with his own ZAKU, the one he had brought aboard the _Minerva_ at Armory One. Well, at least he had _some_ experience piloting the model before now. Shinn sprinted across the deck and hopped into the Core Splendor's cockpit, attaching his safety restraints as he closed the canopy above him.

"One minute to mobile suit launch!"

Roland sprinted through the bridge doors and made his way to the ladder that would take him to his post. "Remind them to follow Commander Joule's orders once they get there," Talia ordered.

"Wait a minute!" Bart typed in something onto his keyboard and when the result popped up, his mouth dropped. "Detecting heat emissions…indicating a battle at Junius Seven!" Every eye the bridge widened suddenly, including those of Eileen and Gilbert. "They're mobile suits!"

"Abort launch!" Meyrin shouted. "There has been a change in the situation! The Joule Team is engaged with an unknown opponent at Junius Seven."

Brad cringed. _Why did I know something like this would happen? Shit!_ "All units, alter your equipment for anti-mobile suit combat!"

"Lunamaria, Rey, get your stuff and get out there! I'll be right behind you as soon as I get my armaments changed!" Brad ordered.

"Also detecting a warship on the opposite side of Junius Seven! Library indicates that it is the same model that we engaged yesterday, General!"

Mwu frowned. First _unknown mobile suits and now that warship shows up._ _This situation just keeps getting worse…_ He stood up. "General?" Jackson inquired.

"Have Chief Kellhorn get one of the M1s ready for me. I'll be launching as well."

"Sir?" Jackson seemed shocked at his announcement.

"Tell Nate that it's an extraordinary circumstance!" Without another word, he promptly exited the bridge. As he made his way towards the hangar deck, he couldn't help but sigh. How long ago had it been since he'd promised someone he wouldn't pilot a mobile suit anymore? And already he would have to break his promise.

"What's happening Meyrin?" Lunamaria asked her sister.

"I don't know! However, the mission still remains as stated. Your mission is still to support the Joule Team. Once you're rearmed, please launch immediately," Meyrin told her.

"Commander Bourdais-?" Lunamaria began to ask.

"Lunamaria, just go," Rey instructed her. "You have your equipment. The sooner we get out there the better." Lunamaria sighed and nodded.

Proceeding to the edge of the port-side catapult, Lunamaria anchored herself to the launcher and waited. The hatch in front of her slowly swung open, revealing the darkness of space beyond. "Central catapult online, catapult connection confirmed." Lunamaria felt her weapons pack connect to the back of her ZAKU and she sealed her helmet visor. "Course clear for launch!"

"Lunamaria Hawke! ZAKU! Taking off!" The catapult engaged and Lunamaria was thrown back into the seat as her pink ZAKU raced down the line before being vaulted into the weightless state in front of her. She activated her engines and headed out.

"Rey, you're next!" Rey finished bringing up the last of his diagnostics and gripped his controls firmly. "Course clear for launch!"

"Rey za Burrel, ZAKU launching!"

"Core Splendor proceed to the main catapult." _Even Bogey One's here_, Shinn thought to himself as he felt his machine being pushed up to the starboard side catapult. Once there, he finished orienting himself and waited for the catapult. "Course clear for launch!"

"Shinn Asuka, Core Splendor, taking off!" Shinn gunned the thrusters and sent the Core Splendor soaring out into space.

"Deploy Blast Silhouette Pack!" The weapons pack, chest, and leg pieces all quickly followed Shinn out.

"You're next, Commander!" Brad finished his tirade inside his mind and took a deep breath.

"Tell Shinn and the others to wait for me out there," he said. His weapons pack was installed and he moved himself to the catapult.

"Course clear for launch!" Within seconds, Brad too was on his way.

The final ZAKU was maneuvered onto the port-side catapult and prepared for launch. Athrun sealed his visor and sighed. It had been quite a long time since he'd been in the cockpit, preparing himself for combat. How long had it been? A day, since he'd been a lowly civilian protecting a government leader? Now he found himself back in the pilot of a mobile suit in the center of a global crisis. "Course clear for launch!" _Well, here we go again…_

"Athrun Zala, ZAKU taking off!" Athrun raced down the catapult and joined his comrades in space.

On the _Kusanagi_, the situation was much the same. "I tried to get it set up to your specifications, but I didn't have very much time," Kellhorn admitted as Mwu swung himself into the cockpit of his M1 Astray.

"Well, as long as it'll fly things'll be fine. Thanks Nate!"

"Good luck, sir!" The cockpit hatch sealed in front of him and Mwu slid into the confines of his pilot's seat. He powered up the M1's systems and slowly made his way towards the _Kusanagi's_ main catapult.

"We'll be right behind, you General," Mitch informed him.

"Thanks." Mwu felt his mobile suit anchor itself into the catapult and waited. He managed a slight grin as the lighting board above him began to change from red to green. _Just like old times…!_ "Mwu la Flaga, M1, launching!"

As the mobile suits slowly began to make their way towards their objectives, Junius Seven continued on its course and slowly was dragging closer and closer to the terrifying end of its journey…

**END PHASE-05.**


	7. Phase 06 The End of the World

**PHASE-06The End Of The World (As We Know It)**

_**-Junius Seven, Earth Orbit, October 3, C.E. 73, 2000.**_

In stark contrast to the desolate remains of Junius Seven which was now plummeting towards it, Earth was a masterpiece of beauty and serenity. The planet seemed so peaceful, so at rest when one viewed it from high above. The oceans were a perfect blue and puffy white clouds occasionally masked the green land masses that sprang from the ocean's depths. It was hard to believe that so much chaos and misunderstanding could be festering on that beautiful surface, but it was true. The people riding with Junius Seven knew that all too well.

From the cockpit of his GINN HM, a disgruntled man named Sato waited patiently behind a craggy rock surface. He had heard the initial gunshots being fired by his co-conspirators moments before and now was biding his time until it would be his turn. He gazed at the pictures arrayed around his cockpit, memories of past experiences with friends and family. _Helen…Mira…_ Many of them were no longer with him, victims of the attacks which the Naturals had inflicted upon the Coordinators during the last war. He was included in that lot, the jagged scar across his face clear evidence of that fact.

There was an explosion just a few kilometers away from his current position. Beside him, the other two GINNs began to ready their weapons. Sato did the same. He glanced behind him. The flare motors that he and his wing-mates had attached to Junius Seven's outer framework continued to propel the PLANT closer and closer towards the Earth.

"The Naturals will pay for their treachery…" he murmured quietly. Two and a half years had passed since the war ended and yet nothing had changed. Coordinators were still be persecuted by the Naturals, portrayed as freaks and monsters going against the proper laws of nature due to their genetic enhancements. Many in the PLANTs had chosen to turn a blind eye to these blatant acts; they were even trying to co-exist with those same Natural scum. That fact made Sato's stomach turn.

"Contacts approaching," one his wingmen piped.

Sato clutched his GINN's rifle securely. "Those who turn a blind eye to the Naturals' acts will no longer be able to look away. Those who wish to forget the sins of the past will be crushed beneath our mighty sword."

His wing mate turned to him. "Only about an hour longer, Sato. Then we will have our vengeance."

Sato blinked. _Only an hour longer Naturals…_ He activated his GINN's engines and propelled himself out of his hiding place. His comrades followed directly behind him, forming in a triangular formation with Sato at the point. He cried out, "Now fall Junius Seven! Deliver our justice to the treacherous Naturals and may our cause emanate throughout the entire universe!"

_**-Vesalius, 1000 km from Junius Seven, 2000.**_

With space directly in front of him, Yzak closed the visor on his helmet and waited. "Where's Dearka?"

"Red delta, mark one-seven-two," was the answer. "He's currently engaged with the enemy mobile suits."

Yzak frowned. "Give the order to the workers to continue with the demolition. That's our priority here. Alright, I'm heading out." The board above him indicated that it was clear for him to go and Yzak sprang forth out of the _Nazca's_ hatch and into the battle.

Ahead of him, Yzak could see the bright lights indicating a battle taking place at Junius Seven. Homing in on Dearka's location, Yzak reached for his backpack and pulled out his Slash ZAKU Phantom's beam axe, made available to him through his machine's extra equipment. He sprinted ahead, zipping past several worker units in their GuAIZ R units tending to a Meteor Breaker. After some time, he was close enough to the signal to be able to make out Dearka's green ZAKU. His friend and colleague was firing back at the unknown GINNs, attempting to clear a course for an incoming Breaker.

"Dearka!" he called out. Dearka snapped his head to his right and saw Yzak racing towards him. That momentary hesitation however, was enough for one of the two GINNs he was currently occupied with to sneak in close and get off a shot that was too close for comfort. He barely managed to dodge the attack and fired back with his machine's long-range rifle. He gunned his engines and made his way to a relatively safe point.

Yzak came beside him. "Man, who are these guys?" Dearka complained. "They're damn experts at flying those GINNs!"

"I don't know. Whoever they are, they obviously had a plan when they came here." _And more than likely they're the reason Junius Seven started moving in the first place…_

Another mobile suit came beside them, a Slash ZAKU similar to Yzak's, except for the lack of extra armaments. "Shiho, are you alright?" Yzak inquired. He could see his counterpart's nod in response via his cockpit video screen. Ahead, the two GINNs Dearka had encountered earlier were now coming towards them. "It's time we took the offensive here," he said. "Let's go!" he added, springing forward with Dearka and Shiho directly in his wake. The GINNs fired at them, but with Dearka and Shiho providing cover, Yzak was able to maneuver his way around them and attack them from behind with his blazing beam axe. He sliced into the shoulder portion of one of the GINNs and effectively disarmed the mobile suit. Before he could finish the job however, the machine's pilot bid a hastily retreat. "I'm not about to let you continue interfering here…!" Yzak hissed. The other GINN swung at him with its sword, but Yzak dodged quickly and kept up the battle.

A short distance away from the battle, Shinn linked the Core Splendor's laser guidance system with the other three pieces following him in his wake. The system locked in on the Leg Flyer and Chest Flyer, bringing them in close to his cockpit, eventually merging with it to form the main body of the Impulse, its head appearing out of the Chest Flyer's top section. Using the system, Shinn brought the final piece, his Blast Silhouette Pack, into position and attached it to the Impulse's back. Activating the Impulse's phase shift armor, the mobile suit turned from a solid gray to its standard red, white, and blue, with an added mesh of green due to the Blast parts now at Shinn's disposal.

Behind him, Brad led the quartet of himself, Lunamaria, Rey, and Athrun in their respective units and met up with Shinn. "You set, Kid?" Brad asked.

"Yeah, I'm ready."

"Everybody else?" There were several affirmatives. "Let's go, then!" Allowing Shinn to take the lead, Brad fell back into position between Athrun and Rey while Lunamaria brought up the rear of the formation. "You alright?" he asked Athrun.

"Fine," Athrun answered simply.

"You sure? I bet it's been a while since you've been at the controls of one of these."

"Show me some respect," Athrun responded briskly. "I know what I'm doing."

"Yeah, I know, just making sure," Brad acknowledged.

"I have multiple contacts up ahead, Commander," Rey said to his right.

"Stand by to enter combat. We've been given authorization to return fire. Remember, the mission is still to assist the Joule Team with the demolition, but if you get in trouble, by all means fight back with everything you've got. Don't think you have to hold back here."

"Roger!"

Behind them, the _Minerva_ and_ Kusanagi_ continued to close on Junius Seven, albeit at a considerably slower pace than their respective mobile suits. "Receiving transmission from the Joule Team, ma'am," Bart reported. "They're images of the mobile suits their currently engaged in battle with."

"Put them on screen," Talia ordered. When the image did appear, it was of a GINN painted in dark colors equipped with rifles and extra guns on their shoulders.

"Those are…" Arthur began.

"HM models," Talia finished quietly. "Reserved only for aces in the ZAFT military. Looks like we bumped into some experts."

"Orders, Captain?"

"Let Commander Joule know that we acknowledge and inform our mobile suits of this information. Activate all weapons installations and prepare to fire at my command. Prepare for combat. Lower the bridge!"

Just before the top portion of the bridge began to sink down, a figure darted between the bridge doors and managed to stabilize herself before she tumbled over due to the sinking deck below her. "Princess?" Gilbert said in a startled voice, getting the attention of every person on the bridge.

"What's happening? What's the situation?" Cagalli asked.

Gilbert sighed. "Not good, I'm afraid. The units we assigned to break up Junius Seven have come under attack by unknown mobile suits."

"Unknown…?" Cagalli's eyes widened. "Do you mean that-?"

"We don't know all the facts as of now, but that's what we're going to have to assume," Gilbert said reluctantly. "Those mobile suits may very well be the cause of Junius Seven's descent."

The bridge sank into its combat position and became shrouded in darkness. "Do you have any other available mobile suits, Captain Gladys?" Talia's eyes widened and she glanced back at Cagalli curiously. Cagalli had donned a determined expression. "If there's anything I can do to help."

Talia paused. Cagalli _did_ have experience piloting mobile suits and it was likely that she still had quite a bit of skill. But she was Orb's Princess. "We don't have anymore available," Talia admitted.

Before Cagalli could answer, Gilbert said, "You're escort asked to take the last unit out and we gave him authorization." Cagalli frowned. _Athrun?_ He had gone out into combat?

"Junius Seven's descent angle has increased by one point five degrees with a four percent velocity acceleration," Bart reported.

"Damn," Arthur swore. "We're running out of time."

"The best thing for you to do right now would probably be to have a seat, Princess," Gilbert said to her. "Our available resources have already been put to use against this threat, including your own. There doesn't appear to be anything more that can be done." As much as Cagalli hated to admit it, Gilbert was correct. She took her seat beside Eileen and watched as the images from the battle began to play on the view screen ahead of her.

"It will be alright, Princess." Cagalli looked at Eileen. "Have faith in them." Cagalli nodded after a short pause. That was all she could do right now. Have faith.

_**-Girty Lue, 1200 km from Junius Seven, 1900.**_

"I wonder what the ZAFT ships and the Orb vessel are doing here," Neo said aloud. "This makes things much more complicated…and interesting."

"Multiple contacts detected at Junius Seven. They're mobile suits."

Neo and Lee watched as images from the conflict taking place at Junius Seven played in front of their eyes. "What are those GINNs doing there?" Lee asked. "It looks as if the ZAFT mobile suits are fighting with each other."

Neo didn't respond for a moment. He folded his arms. "Whatever the case is, I have a sneaking suspicion that Junius Seven didn't break from its orbit by accident. Send out Sting's team and Night Calamity. I want to find out what exactly is going on."

"And if they should encounter those mobile suits?" Lee inquired.

Neo smiled. "If they find it necessary, tell them they have authority to do what they want."

"Launch orders have been given. All mobile suits are to stand-by and proceed to the catapult and await launch." The orders resonated inside Chaos' cockpit. Sting fidgeted inside his chair and sighed angrily. He didn't appear to be very eager to go out into combat.

Auel noticed this as well. "What's wrong, Sting?" His friend didn't answer. Quickly, Auel reeled off a string of suggestions. "Not feeling well? Girlfriend break up with you? Have to go to the bathroom-?"

"Knock it off Auel!" Sting scowled. "What I want to know is…_why_ is Neo making me take a _camera_ out there?" He glanced upward at Chaos' head where an optical lens had been installed at the apex of the mobile suit's forehead. It was easily looked at as an eyesore and Sting still wondered what the hell it was doing there.

"Maybe he wants you take some pretty pictures of the mobile suits you destroy," Auel suggested. "You could make a collage!"

"He wants him to find out what caused that thing to break its orbit, dumb-ass!" Orga shouted.

"Shut up, ass-hole!" Auel fired back.

"Will you two shut up?" Sting shook his head. "What I really want to know is why did he give it to _me_? He could have just as easily given it you Auel."

"He's probably making you do it because you couldn't take down that mobile suit yesterday."

"You didn't get him either, genius!"

"Hey, your launch time is approaching," Neo broke in. He had been listening over the radio. "Quit bickering already. We've got bigger problems to worry about than you babbling about your battle records."

"Let's just go, then," Orga hissed.

"Boy, you sound anxious to get out there and watch that thing fall," Sting commented dryly.

"Listen, I don't want that thing to fall anymore than you do!" Orga shot back. "Let's just get out there and get this done." Without another word, Night Calamity was shot into the darkness beyond the _Girty Lue's_ hatch. Auel followed him out with the Abyss.

Sting glanced behind him at the Gaia, where Stella sat quietly in the cockpit. "Stella. You alright?" She nodded. "Okay, let's go then." The board winked an affirmative and Sting was sent flying out of the hangar and into space.

Ahead, the GuAIZ R worker units were attempting to reorganize themselves and transport their Meteor Breakers to their designated points. However, the swarming GINN HMs did not make the task very easy to accomplish.

A trio of GINNs closed in on one group of GuAIZ who had managed to get their Meteor Breaker into position. One raced ahead, drawing its sword and swinging it down onto one of the GuAIZ, who managed to block. However, once the lead GINN drew away, the GuAIZ was a sitting duck for his wing-mates behind him, who tore apart the mobile suit with blasts of gunfire. With their offensive weapons removed so that they could transport the Breakers quicker, the GuAIZs had little protection for themselves except for their armor and their built in weapons, which did little to hold back the onslaught of the GINNs.

Then help arrived. With his machine's beam axe slung over his shoulder, Yzak leaped down from a piece of rock and swung downward towards one of the airborne GINNs, narrowly missing a direct hit. From behind another piece of rock, Shiho charged in with beam axe drawn, slicing apart the lead GINN's sword. With his weapon destroyed, the pilot took to the air again, soaring high above Yzak and Shiho. Right in front of Dearka's position.

As the smoke resulting from the direct hit and destruction of the GINN cleared, Dearka could see that the other two GINNs had taken action to avenge their fallen comrade. "How many units did you count, Dearka?" Yzak asked, parrying one of the GINNs' swords with his axe.

"Uh…fifteen GINNs…well, make that fourteen right now…"

"And we've lost two Breaker units, plus another one that was damaged badly enough so that it won't work," Yzak added smugly. He deflected another attack and managed to position his opponent's blade high above him, leaving him open for a brutal forearm shot from Yzak's ZAKU, which sent the dark colored mobile suit flying away. "Maybe if we're swift enough we can-."

"Yzak!" Shiho tackled Yzak's machine so hard that his head rang inside his helmet. He didn't mind however, as the spot where he had just been floating was now nothing more than a cloud of smoke and fire.

Directly above them, three silhouettes were racing towards them. "What are these guys doing here?" Auel wondered out loud.

"GINNs and ZAKUs…? They're ZAFTs!" Sting observed.

Auel snarled. "Are you the ones who made this thing move?" He fired chest and shoulder cannons at the airborne ZAKUs, which barely were able to dodge the attack. Abyss dove down toward the GuAIZs, which were now in a perilous predicament. Unleashing another powerful attack, Auel literally obliterated both GuAIZs and their Meteor Breaker at the same time. Yzak scowled, but didn't have time to lament on the results, as he suddenly found Chaos and Gaia directly in front of him. _Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss? What the hell are they doing here?_

"Damn," Dearka cursed. He brought his rifle to bear and was just about to fire a shot when something large smashed into him from behind. Crying out in surprise, Dearka regained control of his ZAKU in time to dodge a powerful attack that tore open the ground beside him. Scanning the area, Dearka couldn't find the source. When another attack came, he realized it. _Camouflage…_

Orga fired another round with his Schlag cannons and then shot a grenade down towards the ZAKU, which rolled out of the way before the grenade detonated. Jumping down from the rock, Orga glided along the surface and fired his Schlags again. Dodging, Dearka contacted Yzak. "Watch out you two, we've got a camouflager!"

Yzak swore inside his mind. Chaos released both of its gun barrels and attacked him from two directions. Barrel rolling away from the shots, Yzak used his shoulder guns to drive away the barrels and buy himself some time. That time was short however, as he was forced to dodge an attack from Gaia seconds later. Yzak shook his head at the reality of the battlefield. Just seconds before they had held the advantage due to surprise. Now they were on the receiving end of a surprise attack.

The image of the three mobile suits appeared on Brad's view port as he and the other _Minerva_ pilots were getting to within close range of Junius Seven. When Brad saw Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss fighting with the Joule Team's mobile suits, the only words that he could find to describe the situation was a quiet, "What the…?"

Shinn, Lunamaria, and the others also saw what was going on up ahead. "What're they doing here?" Shinn wondered out loud.

"Those three again?!" Lunamaria added incredulously. Athrun and Rey both looked on silently.

"What the hell are they doing here?" Brad opened a channel to the _Minerva_, but all he was met with was static. Quickly, he sent the image via transmission to the bridge's central receiver where it would be routed directly to the bridge view screen.

Chaos' gun barrels blowing apart another GuAIZ was the first thing the bridge crew saw. "The stolen mobile suits?" Arthur gasped.

Talia looked on silently as Roland added, "They're attacking the units escorting the Meteor Breakers." He accessed the shared battle diagnostics with the other ships. He snarled. "We're down to thirteen Breakers. Damn it! At this rate we won't be able to continue the demolition."

"Why are they attacking us anyway? We're trying to stop that thing!" Arthur echoed.

"They may be thinking otherwise," Talia murmured. Several sets of eyes eyed her quizzically. "It's possible they think we're trying to help the GINNs make that thing fall."

"But we're not-!" Arthur tried to interject.

"It can't be helped. If those machines happened to be Daggers, you'd be suspicious of the Earth Forces and their participation, wouldn't you? Bart, can you locate Bogey One?"

"Hang on…" His console registered a hit. "Heat source detected at green alpha mark twenty-four. Confirmed. It's Bogey One!"

"Captain. We won't stand a chance if those machines interfere. We should attack Bogey One at once!" Arthur suggested.

Talia paused. She turned her chair ninety degrees to her right. "Mr. Chairman. What is your assessment of Bogey One's current involvement in the situation?" Gilbert looked startled that Talia had asked him this. "Pirates? Or part of the Earth Forces? You do have experience in dealing with these kinds of matters."

Gilbert thought about it. "Given the current situation and what's transpired…that's difficult to determine. I would rather not get into a battle with the Earth Forces, if it can be helped."

"We may not have that option after all this is done," Talia added darkly. "In this emergency situation, if they declare themselves to be with the Earth Forces or associated with the Earth Forces, battling them here would be meaningless."

Chaos transformed into its mobile armor shape and used its forward cannon to destroy a GINN which had been dogging him for some time. "Commander, what are your orders?" Athrun asked Brad seriously.

"Our job is to cover the Joule Team while they work. Shinn, Lunamaria, Athrun, you come with me. We'll engage the three mobile suits. Rey go cover the rest of the GuAIZ's. The Orb mobile suits'll be here real quick, so hold your own until then."

As they split off, Athrun heard Lunamaria mutter, "This time we'll finish you three off for sure!"

"That's not our mission, Lunamaria," Athrun reminded her. He hoped she wouldn't concentrate too much on defeating the three mobile suits and not enough on the demolition work.

"I know that…" The rest of Lunamaria's response was cut off as the range became too great and static enveloped the radio waves.

The first shot blazed over Chaos' head just after Sting transformed back into normal humanoid mode. He craned his neck and saw the quartet of mobile suits approaching fast from his left. He frowned. _These guys are here too?_ He deployed both of gun barrels. "Auel!" he called.

"I see 'em!" Abyss was already firing his chest cannon towards the incoming machines. Sting's gun barrels were right behind, followed closely by the Chaos' full body. Shinn, in the lead with the Impulse, rolled his mobile suit onto its back and got off a quick shot with the Blast Impulse's two rail guns mounted on the machine's shoulders. Auel dodged and immediately swooped downward on the Impulse, forcing Shinn to dive head-first towards the surface of Junius Seven. He reached behind him and removed one of the Impulse's two beam javelins from his machine's backpack. He extended it towards the Abyss' torso, which forced Auel to quickly dodge before he impaled himself on the blade. Shinn attempted to escape, but Auel quickly launched a new attack with the Abyss' small CIWS guns and then with his backpack's Balaena Kai beam cannons. "How dare you try to drop this thing on Earth?" Auel screamed.

Shinn snarled. "Damn it! Why won't you let us work?" He swung and parried with his javelin, managing to shear off a piece of the Abyss' right leg. Abyss jumped up and Shinn smirked. It quickly disappeared when Auel flipped his machine and unleashed a shot from his Callidus chest cannon that grazed the Impulse's left shoulder. Impulse sprang upright and swung its backpack into its trail position on its lower back, extending its powerful beam cannons. Shinn fired twice, both shots missing high and raced off into space beyond.

Above him, the distance between Chaos' gun barrels widened as they both attempted to acquire a target. However, both uniquely colored ZAKU's raced past the cannons. The pink one raced past the Chaos without even firing at him, but the white and purple one attacked with its shoulder cannons, spewing machine gun fire that was more of an annoyance than anything else. Sting turned around and fired his rifle at the ZAKU, but he made a mistake and turned his back to Athrun who was still coming in. The first rifle shot struck Chaos in the back, but it didn't penetrate. Athrun cursed his weapon's ineffectiveness against the other mobile suit's phase shift armor, but didn't have time to contemplate another strategy as Sting had focused his attention back onto him and was now attacking with Chaos' newly acquired MA-BAR721 high-energy beam rifle, an upgrade of the mobile suit's previous standard issue gun. Lances of red light danced around the ZAKU, but Athrun dodged expertly, pirouetting his mobile suit in multiple directions while returning fire with his own rifle.

Sting smiled. "I don't know where you came from, but you're not half bad." He reattached his gun barrels and pulled out one of his beam sabers from Chaos' hip socket. "How about this?" He sliced horizontally, forcing Athrun evasive, and then attacked vertically. Athrun managed to dodge the attacks, but when Sting redeployed his gun barrels, he knew he had to do something to get out of this and regroup. Recalling past experiences, Athrun waited until Sting got close to him and then suddenly surged forward, smashing the ZAKU's shoulder into Chaos' torso, sending the bigger mobile suit flailing backwards. Sting worked the controls feverishly, keeping Chaos upright. He attacked with both of his gun barrels, but with the Chaos' main body now at a good distance, Athrun was able to concentrate solely on the barrels. After several attempts, Athrun was able to anticipate the moves of the barrels and caught one with a quick pot-shot over the ZAKU's shoulder. Sting tried to bring back his remaining barrel but Athrun put himself in between Chaos and the barrel, caught it under the ZAKU's arm and quickly stuck a grenade onto the top of the barrel. It exploded shortly after he released it, momentarily blinding Sting. The ZAKU fired through the cloud, but luckily it blew past just over Chaos' left shoulder. When Athrun came through the cloud, Sting was a full meter away and preparing for another attack.

Below her pink ZAKU, Lunamaria tried to get an accurate bearing on Stella and the Gaia, but with the black and yellow mobile suit in four-legged mode, it was difficult. Lunamaria shot wildly, but scored no hits. Gaia ran between the remnants of buildings and other structures as it scampered across Junius Seven's surface, sending chunks of rock into space in her mobile suit's wake. Stella screamed as she jumped up and transformed back into humanoid mode, firing her machine's BAR-71XE beam rifle at Lunamaria. The pink ZAKU managed to evade and Lunamaria cocked her Orthros long-range rifle. She fired at Gaia, but after dodging the attack, Stella surged forward and smashed into the ZAKU. Lunamaria shook inside the cockpit as her ZAKU crashed into the ground below her. Stella went into quadruped mode and ran towards the ZAKU. Her eyes wide, Stella shouted, "This'll finish you, Pink Suit!"

Lunamaria frowned. "Not so fast!" she said, extending her ZAKU's legs into the air and flipped over backwards like a gymnast on a parallel bar bringing herself upright. Before Stella could react, the ZAKU raised its knee and smashed it into the Gaia's jaw. As it fell backwards, Lunamaria reached forward and removed her ZAKU's beam tomahawk from its shield and flung it boomerang style towards Gaia, connecting with one of its fins and slicing the accessory completely off. Stella however, was able to get off a shot with her machine's beam assault cannons and hit the ZAKU's lower leg, blowing the lower half of the limb off completely.

With his eyes scanning right and left, Brad kept his mind focused on what he was looking for. _Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss…that means_ he's_ gotta be here too…but where…?_ He crept up behind a piece of debris and killed his engines. Peering over the crag, he squinted his eyes, trying to get even a small inclination as to where the camouflaged mobile suit was. His diagnostics alerted him to the shot's location just before it hit. Rocks tumbled down onto the spot where Brad had been standing and he quickly returned fire with his machine's MMI-M633 beam rifle. Orga was quick, firing his bazooka in fast intervals to keep the ZAKU Phantom on the move. Brad's shots went past without hitting anything. He jumped upwards in order to dodge an attack from Night Calamity's chest cannon, but then had to quickly go back down to avoid attacks from its Schlag cannons. Orga narrowed his eyes as he tracked the ZAKU, trying to get an accurate shot that would finally finish off this bastard.

Behind him, Yzak had finished with one of his pursuers and raced around a bend, leaving him face to face with Night Calamity. He jammed the controls to his right and danced away before Orga could fire his chest cannon, which missed only by a few feet. Orga craned his neck toward the new arrival and fired his chest cannon again. Yzak was able to dodge the shot and parried away a grenade that was then fired at him, which then exploded against the bend he had just come around. Orga readjusted his controls and bounced off a piece of debris. He pointed his machine's belly down towards Junius Seven and flew towards Yzak. However, he failed to take into account the second ZAKU behind him who at that moment fired back with his shoulder cannons. Brad reached into his shield and pulled out his beam tomahawk before barrel rolling his ZAKU and charging towards Night Calamity. Orga jumped upwards and swore at both ZAKUs for having double-teamed him. _No matter._ Without another thought, Orga unleashed his chest and shoulder cannons, sending beams of destruction down towards the two ZAKUs who somehow managed to dodge the shots and subsequent explosions. Brad was the first to come after him, beam rifle firing in one hand, beam tomahawk in the other. "Damn it," he hissed. Orga dodged the attacks and raced away from Brad. His rifle still firing, Brad raced after him. "I'll take care of this guy. You help the workers, Commander!" Brad shouted to Yzak.

"Thanks!" Yzak responded. As he left, Yzak glanced ahead. Earth was growing larger in front of him. Clenching his fist, Yzak pushed further ahead, knowing full well what would happen if they didn't succeed here. Time was running out.

_**-Kusanagi, 1300 km from Junius Seven, 1910.**_

The launch board winked all green and the last of the _Kusanagi's_ M1 Astrays leapt through the open hatch and joined its comrades in space. "That's the last of the M1's, General."

Mwu spoke to Captain Jackson through his M1's view screen. "What was that message from the _Minerva_ about?"

"Apparently they have unknown GINNs attacking the demolition units at Junius Seven," Jackson informed him in a grim tone. "Looks like we're going to have a fight on our hands."

"Great," Mwu mumbled quietly. "Bob, keep the _Kusanagi _close to the _Minerva_. Don't let anything happen to Miss Cagalli while she's still on board. Only attack aggressive forces if you _absolutely have to_." He emphasized those last words. The last thing they needed was for a war to start because of something stupid.

"Yes, sir."

Mwu moved around in his cockpit seat, trying to get used to the confines of a mobile suit again. It had been over two years since he'd last been at the controls of one, but when he had gripped the controls with his gloved hands and felt the machine shiver around him as its engines came to life, it was almost as if he had returned home, even though he had once promised he'd never come back here. He keyed the radio. "Mitch, give me a report."

"I've got unidentifieds engaging the ZAFT mobile suits in two different quadrants. The mobile suits from the _Minerva_ are directly ahead of us."

"Our job is to cover the ZAFT machines while they break that thing apart," Mwu repeated. "Mitch, Alberto, you two come with me. We'll go assist the _Minerva_ units. The rest of you go and cover the main grouping of workers. Make sure that that thing breaks up before it hits the Earth!" A chorus of affirmatives followed.

Junius Seven grew larger the further Mwu and his two wing mates went. It was like a giant, rusty hour-glass floating through space, though instead of sand, this one contained buildings, roads, and people. Or at least it had. Mwu's insides began to ache as he approached. This place represented dark moments in his life. It was here that the most trying time of his life, the Bloody Valentine War, began. It was here that the _Archangel_ had stopped to re-supply and in turn remember the victims of the nuclear attack. It was here that his mentor, father-figure, and friend, Colonel John Namora, had been murdered by former Blue Cosmos leader Murata Azrael. It had been here, that his old nemesis Rau le Creuset, a clone of Mwu's real father Al da Flaga, had revealed to Mwu his intentions to destroy all of humanity in order to fulfill his insane desires. All those bad memories flooded into Mwu's mind as the first pieces of debris began to pass by his cockpit. He gulped; his throat was dry and scratchy.

"General?" Mwu glanced to his left, at Alberto's M1. "You alright?"

"I'm fine." He now could see the flashes of gunfire up ahead. Casting a glance to his right, he looked at the photo he had brought with him and anchored on the M1's diagnostic board, the photo from his office, with both sets of eyes staring back at him. Mwu quickly blew the woman in the picture a kiss. _I'm sorry Murrue,_ he thought mournfully as he gunned his engines and raced towards combat. _I know I promised…but this is something I have to do…_

_**-Lord Djibril's Mansion, outskirts of Madrid, Spain, 1915.**_

While he normally preferred martinis, Djibril was not one to say no to other types of liquor he felt exquisite. The coconut rum that was now swirling down his throat was particularly satisfying as it splashed into the caverns of his stomach and began to burn his esophagus. He held his glass in a sophisticated manner, while moving his other hand in a slow, sweeping motion over the fur of his black cat's back. Occasionally, she would purr and send shivers through Djibril's body, but he didn't let that distract him from what he needed to pay attention to.

He was seated in a large room, located deep underground in the confines of his lavish mansion, in a leather-backed, high-seated chair that could rotate three-hundred and sixty degrees left or right. The lighting in the room was sufficient enough for him to read bulletins that came to him from his sources on the outside.

Otherwise, he got his news and updates from the numerous television screens that were arrayed on the large rear wall of the room. They were tuned into locations all over the globe at this time: China, Russia, Europe, America. Every channel, while differing along the lines of cultural standards, all preached the same message, regardless of language or race.

"I must confirm a very serious situation to you all." Djibril took another sip from his glass and set it down in the drink holder on his chair's arm-rest. He focused his attention on the speaker directly in front of him, an old acquaintance of his, Anthony Copeland; the President of the Atlantic Federation. "As rumored, Junius Seven _has_ drifted out of its orbit and is currently approaching Earth. Our analysts have confirmed its location and current angle of descent, which unfortunately leaves us precious little time. I am advising all citizens to seek shelter in one of the designated underground facilities for their own safety."

Djibril pressed a button and the screen altered to take the shape of another individual, this one balding, spectacled, and speaking in a deep but monotone voice. Responding to a reporter's question, Unato Ema Seiran, the Prime Minister of the Orb Union, said, "The Orb government has formed an alliance with the other governments of the world and has discussed the best way to deal with the situation. Unfortunately, given the lack of time we have yet to come up with an effective solution."

"How in the world can Junius Seven fall at that speed?" another reporter barked out as flash bulbs could be seen flashing against the blue background behind Unato.

He cleared his throat. "We have no information about that at this time."

"Will it be possible to avoid impact?"

"What is the estimated time of impact and estimated point of impact?"

Another individual took center stage in front of Djibril. This one was tall, well-rounded, and looked considerably older than he actually was. Gray had completely taken over the mass of hair on his head and the bags under his eyes were indisputable. He looked rather tired; something that Djibril silently hoped was indeed the case. "Currently, the PLANTs and Earth Alliance Forces are working together to crush the object to pieces. We must inform the citizens of this emergency situation and have people make their way to the shelters immediately." Woodrow Bradford spoke calmly in a Baltic language that Djibril would not have been able to understand without the subtitles underneath his image. As the leader of the Eurasian Federation, Bradford had united his nation in the two years since the war ended, the conclusion that he helped orchestrate for that matter, and now served as the leader of the Eurasian government. He had caused Djibril many headaches during the course of those two years as well.

A news report was the next scene he saw. "I'm presently located on the western coast of the British Isles and as you can see behind me, many of the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy are currently working feverishly to evacuate the thousands of citizens living near the coastline. London is almost deserted at this point as people flock to the shelters nearest to them." Behind the reporter, who spoke in a crisp English accent, Djibril could see hordes of people scurrying down roads and sidewalks to get within range of the shelters. "While the likelihood of a direct impact on the motherland is almost slim to none, we cannot however disregard the notion that should Junius Seven impact somewhere on the Atlantic, the devastation wrought on Britain would be catastrophic and…sadly, while the brave soldiers of the Isles work to save everyone they can…I'm afraid I must confirm the grim fact that there is not enough room in the shelters to accommodate the entire population of the Earth…!" The reporter's voice was cracking as he spoke, a clear indication of the fear and uncertainty overwhelming everyone on Earth at this time.

His eyes closing, Djibril allowed himself a moment of calm as he listened to the reports coming in. It wouldn't be long before all this chaos would mold itself into an objective which he would be able to control to his own desires. Not long indeed.

_**-Minerva, 900 km from Junius Seven, 1925**_

"Have you sent the message yet?" Talia's tone was beyond exaggerated. With the worst case scenario in mind, she had ordered a message sent across the International Rescue Channel to Bogey One informing them that they were trying to stop Junius Seven from falling to Earth, rather than helping it along its way.

"Yes, Captain. But we won't know if Bogey One acknowledges us with the radio's jammed," Meyrin answered.

"We'll know if they believe us by their actions in the next few minutes," Talia said. "Keep a close watch on them, Bart."

"Captain. What's the status of the Meteor Breaker units?" Gilbert asked.

Talia checked her readings. "Twelve Breakers remaining, minus two that have already been set up. Those GINNs have destroyed five of them."

Gilbert sighed. "That's not enough to break Junius Seven." As much as she hated to admit it, Talia knew that Gilbert was right.

On the opposite side of Junius Seven, the _Minerva's_ message played across the view screen of the _Girty Lue's_ bridge. As he took in the message, Neo began to notice a knot of confusion taking hold of not only the bridge crew, but himself as well. The message read: _To Warship of Unknown Nationality. URGENT. We are supporting the work of breaking up Junius Seven. If you wish to prevent destruction on the ground if it falls, cease your mobile suits' attacks immediately._ If the ZAFT forces were trying to crush Junius Seven, why were the GINNs fighting the other mobile suits? What really was happening over there?

Just then, Neo sensed something, or rather, saw something in his mind. Someone at the controls of a mobile suit was racing through the cracks and crevices of Junius Seven at a blazing speed. Suddenly, a GINN appeared directly in front of him. The pilot dodged the GINNs sword and then sprang up into the air. The GINN followed. After turning around, the pilot fired his machine's rifle at the GINN and struck the machine's left leg and upper torso, blowing pieces off of the mobile suit. Then, Neo heard the pilot's voice. It was a voice he instantly recognized. _"What the hell do these guys think their doing?"_

Neo frowned. "What's the status on Sting, Orga, and the others?" he demanded.

"Why…?" Lee began to inquire.

"Fire signal flares, get them back here," Neo ordered quickly. "That ZAFT ship is telling the truth. They're trying to stop Junius Seven, not help it fall."

Lee looked on skeptically. "How can you be sure of that? We have no way of knowing whether they're telling the truth!"

"_I just know!_" Neo said boldly. He sighed. "Get them back here as soon as possible." _If _he's_ there, and he's helping the ZAFT forces, they must be telling the truth. He wouldn't do something like this after all…_

Back at Junius Seven, after having been able to shake the Chaos off of him, Athrun had moved his ZAKU to one of the designated locations for the set-up of the Meteor Breakers. Behind him, three of the remaining GuAIZ units had managed to erect their Breaker and were in the process of activating it, when something caught Athrun's eye. One of the GINNs was approaching fast from in front of him. This was Sato's GINN. "No…" he hissed angrily as he came closer. "You won't succeed!" He fired a quick succession of shots, but Athrun was quick and avoided being hit. Athrun drew his machine's tomahawk from its shield and flung it in a style similar to that of a boomerang. However, he released it much too high and it never got relatively close to Sato, who charged in towards the ZAKU and grappled with Athrun. Struggling with the controls Athrun attempted to fight Sato off, but the GINN held on tight. Sato smashed the ZAKU into the ground below him and then Junius Seven began to shake. Sato glanced ahead and saw the Meteor Breaker dig into the upper crust of Junius Seven, disappearing into the bowels of the old PLANT. As the Breaker penetrated, its effect spread across the near landscape of Junius Seven and began to rupture the upper portion of the crust. A large, jagged crack began to race across the surface, separating Junius Seven from itself. Sato snarled and shouted, "You bastards!" He tried to shoot Athrun with his rifle, but a shot from out of nowhere destroyed his rifle before he could shoot.

From behind one of the rocky crags, Dearka fired several more shots with his Gunner ZAKU's long-range rifle, but the GINN was already too far away. Yzak came behind him with his ZAKU Phantom and behind him were two more GuAIZ's and another Meteor Breaker. "Hurry!" Yzak shouted. "If we take our sweet time, it'll be too late even if we can get it to split!"

Athrun's eyes widened. "Yzak?"

Yzak glanced towards the ZAKU. "Athrun? What the…?"

"Athrun?" Dearka repeated.

"Yeah…it's me."

Yzak frowned. "Bastard! What the hell are you doing here?"

"That's not important right now! We have to continue with our mission!"

Yzak managed a smile. "I know that! The set-up point for this Breaker is just up ahead."

After forming up beside Yzak, followed by the Breaker, and Dearka covering them from the rear, Athrun acknowledged, "You haven't changed, Yzak."

"Neither have you!"

Dearka sighed audibly. "Oh, boy, they're they go."

After Athrun retrieved his tomahawk, they traveled on for several meters without saying anything else. Then, something appeared up ahead. "What's that?" Yzak wondered out loud.

"It's not good," Athrun answered. As if to back-up his assessment, both of the new GINNs opened up on them with their rifles. "You two concentrate on setting up the Meteor Breaker. We'll deal with them."

"Will you stop giving orders you damn civilian!" Yzak shouted. He did exactly what Athrun had suggested however and broke away to engage the GINNs.

At another part of Junius Seven, the Impulse went crashing through a wall of some sort and Shinn landed on his back. Abyss came slashing through the cloud of dust and made a swipe at him with its staff, but Shinn was quick and was able to dodge, turning his mobile suit onto its belly and using his cannons and rail guns to push himself away. He then opened up on Auel with his CIWS cannons, but they did little except to annoy him. "Heh, you think that'll work?" Auel immediately unleashed a full barrage from his guns which came perilously close to the Impulse before completely obliterating a piece of debris relatively close to Shinn.

Meanwhile, as Athrun and Yzak began to engage the newly discovered GINNs, Orga and Brad's fight had spilled over into their sector, and it did so with a bang. Literally. Brad sent his ZAKU flying into Night Calamity with a fearsome shoulder tackle, smashing Orga into a piece of Junius Seven's crust. "Damn it!" Orga shouted. "Is that all you can do?"

"I'm not gonna lose to _you_!" Brad retorted. He shot at Night Calamity with his shoulder guns, but Orga was able to force him off with a violent shot from his chest cannon that was too close for comfort. Brad could already see the mist beginning to form on his visor, a signal that he had been fighting very hard, which is what he had to do if he was going to defeat this bastard.

Athrun was the first of his team to open up on the GINNs, firing a quick, but precise shot with his rifle that struck one of the GINNs in the leg, causing some damage, but not much. While that GINN concentrated on Athrun, Yzak came from the other direction and used his beam axe to slice apart the GINN's rifle. As the first GINN retreated, Athrun and Yzak suddenly realized that the second wasn't going after them. It was going after the Breaker units! They quickly turned back to help, but were shocked at what they saw behind them. They turned around just in time to see the GINN being sliced in half by an Orb M1 Astray that had appeared out of nowhere. "Got your back!" said the M1 pilot.

"Mitch?" Athrun recognized Mitch Howell's voice from the last war. They had served together in the Three Ships Alliance.

"Lieutenant, where'd the General go?"

Suddenly, Night Calamity was hit by something from behind. Orga turned around and saw another M1 approaching fast from behind. He tried to dodge, but the M1's pilot had an accurate hand, placing shots on Night Calamity's legs and arm, blowing off two limbs, one of each, and sending Orga flying away. Fighting for control, Orga was able to regain it, but by this time he was well away from the action. Mwu surprised even himself at how accurate he'd been. _Guess I haven't lost my touch,_ he laughed to himself. Brad continued firing his rifle in the direction which Night Calamity had flown, but Orga was too far away for him to do any damage. "Damn!" Brad's curse was more out of frustration for letting Night Calamity get away again more than anything else.

Mwu's M1 came beside him. "You're the Orb General aren't you? Thanks for the save back there," Brad thanked him.

"No problem. But it didn't look like you were having much trouble. Are you by any chance a Jachin Due veteran?"

There was a pause. "Yes."

"Good to see you still up and running." Mwu's comment managed to get Brad to smile, albeit a small one, something he rarely did.

"Alright it's set!"

"Set it off then!" Dearka ordered.

The Breaker dug into Junius Seven's surface just as its counterparts had and within moments another large crack began to form along the upper crust. This crack in turn met up with other cracks and increased in length so that it encompassed the entire radius of Junius Seven. Very quickly, the effect of this action was apparent. The larger half of Junius Seven began to slow down, gravity losing its effect due to the smaller half's lower positioning. Debris fell between the growing hole, and drifted off into space. Seconds passed and now the larger half including Junius Seven's mid-section was slowly down considerably.

Auel, Shinn, and Sting watched in amazement as they sat amongst the debris being showered all around them. "What the hell just happened?" Sting murmured.

"That thing split in half!" Auel then darted forward. Shinn didn't see him until it was too late. He jumped aside, but the blast from Auel's cannons struck a large piece of debris near him and pelted Impulse with rocks and other debris. Shinn drifted away with the debris, while Auel continued forward in the Abyss.

"Auel!" Sting raced after him, not knowing where Auel was taking him. Eventually, Shinn managed to escape the debris cloud and head after the two mobile suits.

Abyss' diagnostic board showed Auel an image of four ZAKUs and three M1s directly ahead of him. "Those guys…" He fired a quick shot with his MA-X223E triple beam cannons that hit the ground just short of where the mobile suits were positioned.

Athrun didn't even wait for the smoke to clear before leaping up towards the Abyss. His diagnostic was already giving him an indication as to where the shots had come from, so he trusted that was the location of the mobile suit. Yzak's ZAKU had followed in the exact same manner just to Athrun's right. "Yzak-!"

"Shut up!" the silver haired pilot shot back. Auel launched another attack, this time with his M68 dual cannons added to the beam cannons, but the ZAKUs were quick and dodged without much effort. Athrun shot first, his beam rifle shot skipping just over Abyss' right shoulder. Auel hesitated slightly and Yzak slipped beside him, slicing with his beam axe. Auel fell back, avoiding the blade, but he fell right back towards Athrun, who had doubled back from his original course and came in with his beam tomahawk held in his ZAKUs right hand. Auel saw him coming in time, but that didn't stop Athrun from taking off the Abyss' left leg below the knee.

Sting entered the fray seconds later. "Auel!" he called out. Then he noticed all the other mobile suits swarming about. _Damn it, Auel!_ He thought. _Why the hell do have to be so impulsive?_ Alberto's M1 was the first to strike, targeting Chaos with its rifle at fairly long range. Sting blocked several of the shots with his shield, absorbing the energy until it dissipated against the armor. However, the momentary distraction allowed Brad to sneak in, his beam axe already drawn, and catch Chaos' left fin with his blade. As soon as he had done his damage, Brad jumped out of the way just before Mwu swept in and took out Sting's rifle with his M1's beam saber. Then, he too barely was able to get clear in time before Dearka's rifle blast blew off Chaos' right leg from the thigh down and damaged the left one around the ankle. "Auel, what are you doing?" Sting yelled. "Don't you know how count? Get the hell out of here!" Auel, who was still being double-teamed by Athrun and Yzak, wisely listened and took his leave as soon as he could while his machine was still intact.

"That'll take care of them for a while," Dearka said after the two had gone.

"We're not done yet though," Athrun reminded him. It was indeed a true statement. Although Junius Seven had broken in half, the lower half was still falling towards Earth. They still had work to do, but there were only a scant number of Meteor Breakers remaining. Worse still, time was of an even lesser quantity.

"We'll go find the other Meteor Breakers and get them working," Yzak ordered. He called out to Mwu. "What's the status of the rest of your squad?"

"They're helping the worker units like you asked them to," Mwu answered.

Yzak nodded. "Let's go, then! Hurry!"

As they made their exit, they didn't notice Impulse watching them from a short distance away. Shinn had watched awestruck as the smaller ZAKUs and M1s had made quick work of the larger and more heavily armed Chaos and Abyss, units who he'd barely been able to handle before. _So these are the abilities of the survivors of Jachin Due?_ He wondered. Brad was a veteran and Shinn already knew that he was pretty strong, but when he was paired with Commander Joule, Lieutenant Elsman, and Athrun, he was amazing. So amazing, that Shinn couldn't help but remain still by and watch.

"Shinn!" Rey's voice snapped Shinn out of his gaze. "What are you doing? We still have work to do!" Shaking his head to make sure the daze had left him, Shinn raised an affirmative and raced off to join the others.

_**-Junius Seven, 1930.**_

The three GuAIZs were finishing with the Meteor Breaker as Lunamaria tried to get an accurate bearing on the Gaia with her long range rifle, but the black mobile suit was still proving to be elusive. She fired two consecutive shots, but they didn't hit anything. She cast a quick glance behind her before firing again. "Aren't they done with that one yet?" she complained.

"Don't worry about, Lunamaria," Rey reminded her. He was busy with one of the GINNs, which had recently appeared and attempted to attack the GuAIZs. After patiently dodging its attacks, Rey calmly adjusted the bearing on his rifle and fired a single shot that penetrated the mobile suit's lower abdomen, sending flames bursting out both sides of the machine. It slowly descended and crashed into the surface of Junius Seven in a fantastic explosion.

"How much time to we have left?" Lunamaria inquired.

"Not much," was Rey's simple, but frank answer.

Yzak, Dearka, and the other units arrived shortly thereafter. There were only three Meteor Breakers remaining that were awaiting set-up, which meant that there were more of their forces working to combat the GINNs and other mobile suits, which would be an advantage to their crews. Brad and Mwu traveled with each other as they swept across the landscape, keeping a close eye out for more of the GINNs. "By the way, how did you know I was a veteran?" Brad asked after a while.

Mwu glanced toward his ZAKU. "Well, by the way you handled yourself in a combat situation, basically. You fought with precision and great skill, plus you weren't afraid of using your instincts in order to accomplish your goal, the true signs of someone who's seen their fair share of combat before." He smiled. "Or you could call it a guess, if that suits your tastes better." Brad was uneasy about his humor, but all he could do was shake his head in response.

Athrun appeared with his ZAKU. "Any sign of them?"

"Nothing, I think we got rid of all of them except for those big guys," Mwu answered. "What about the workers?"

"They're fitting the last ones in now."

"Which means we'll have to get out of here pretty soon," Brad reminded them.

Athrun said, "Mwu, if I may ask what are you doing in a mobile suit anyway? I thought-?"

"I know, I know. The situation called for it, that's the only reason. Otherwise, I wouldn't be out here. What about you, what are you doing out here, kid?"

"The very same reasons," Athrun answered.

Away from the main concentration of mobile suits, Sting had been able to evade detection and had set himself up at a relatively safe location to begin his other mission. Not really caring about what he saw, he flicked off several snaps of his camera and took photos. Auel was beside him as he did so. "So first you get your ass kicked, then you run and hide, and then you take pictures. Good way to fight," he joked.

Sting laughed back sarcastically, and then added, "Shut up." He took a picture of the GuAIZs working on the Meteor Breaker and then something small, but bright caught his eye just a short distance away. He couldn't make out what it was from his position, but he took a photo in the hopes that he would be able to find out what it was when he got back to the _Girty Lue_.

It was then that something else bright caught both of their attentions. The _Girty Lue_ had fired off signal flares. The unique colors instructed their mobile suits to return to the ship immediately. It wasn't only them. Athrun, Mwu, and the others still working also saw the signals. So did the _Minerva_ and the _Kusanagi_. Stella too witnessed the bright colors in the distance. From the inside of Gaia's cockpit, she slowly was overcome by a feeling of calm and serenity. She smiled. Neo was calling her.

"Well, that's it," Auel commented.

"Let's get out of here then. I don't want to be here if this thing falls," Sting added. Chaos and Abyss began to make their way away from Junius Seven and towards the _Girty Lue_, with Stella following in the Gaia shortly after. The ZAFT forces watched them go, a few of them wondering why it took so long for them to realize what was really happening.

The bridge of the _Minerva_ was in the same sort of mood. Gilbert sighed audibly. "Looks like they finally believe us."

"The message must have gotten through to them," Eileen added beside him.

Talia had a different opinion. She checked her readings. "That may be true, or there could be another reason."

Gilbert shot her an unsure glance. "Another reason?"

Talia nodded. "The altitude."

"General!" Jackson called through the radio. His voice was urgent. "Junius Seven is reaching dangerous altitude. If you and the other M1s stay out there any longer you'll burn up in the atmosphere!"

Mwu painfully glanced at the Earth. It was growing larger still in his view port. "Very well, Captain. Prepare the _Kusanagi_ for descent."

Jackson was shocked. "What?"

"We were planning on descending anyway, so let's just get it done now. Keep the ship at a safe distance and prepare for descent. Take up position on the port side of the _Minerva. _They'll give you enough room to make the compartment switch."

Still appearing a bit unsure about the orders, he answered, "As you wish, General."

Mwu then signaled to Mitch and Alberto. "We're returning. Call the others!"

"Meyrin, what's our current position?"

"400 kilometers from Junius Seven, distance 1800 from the uppermost of Earth's atmosphere, Captain."

Her fears assured, Talia added, "If we continue to fall with Junius Seven the ship won't be able to escape the Earth's gravity. We must decide now what lives we cannot afford to lose. Who we can save, and who we cannot."

"Captain…" Gilbert murmured.

She turned toward him. "I'm sorry to have to bring this up under the circumstances but please make your way over to the _Vesalius_, Mr. Chairman. You as well, Madam Representative." Both Gilbert and Eileen looked startled at first. "The _Minerva_ will now descend into the atmosphere and continue with the demolition of the object using our main cannon, as long as the ship will hold."

"What? C-Captain! You can't be serious…!" Arthur began, but when he saw the look on Talia's face, he knew she wasn't lying.

"I don't know how much we can do, but it wouldn't be right if we didn't try everything we could."

"Talia. However…" Gilbert started to say.

"I'm a woman with lots of luck. Please trust me."

Gilbert still looked unsure. "I'd listen to her, Mr. Chairman," Roland stepped in. "She hasn't steered us wrong yet, so why should we believe otherwise now?"

Seemingly to add to her argument, Talia added, "Ian! Can you break Junius Seven down any further with the Tannhauser?"

Ian spread his fingers. "Get me a good shot and I'll see what I can do."

"Felix?"

"Just tell me where you want to go."

She turned back to Gilbert. After a pause, he relented. "All right. Thank you, Talia. I appreciate all your efforts."

"Thank you. Now please hurry, Mr. Chairman. We don't have much time."

"Yes. Let's take our leave, Representative." Before standing, Eileen looked toward Arthur. He nodded toward the door and smiled, reassuring her that everything would be alright, despite his original misgivings. "Let's go, Miss," Gilbert said to Cagalli. She didn't rise.

"Tell Ades and the _Vesalius_ that Chairman Dullindal and Representative Canaver are on their way! Send out a retreat signal to the mobile suits!" Talia ordered.

"I'm staying here," Cagalli said, shaking her head from left to right. Everyone was surprised. "Athrun hasn't returned yet. And if the _Minerva's_ going to all this effort, then I shall join you!"

"Princess…there are other duties where statespersons are required," Talia said, trying to reason with her.

Gilbert was more tolerant. "If you insist, Miss Representative, I shall respect that." Without another word, Gilbert and Eileen took their leave, but not before Gilbert took one last look down towards the lower half of the bridge where Ian was. He appeared to be concentrating solely on his console, but a part of Gilbert couldn't help but think that he was simply ignoring him once again.

They descended in the lift to the C deck which would take them to the hangar and the awaiting transport. They passed several soldiers along the way, but it wasn't until one in a long, white coat appeared that Gilbert stopped suddenly. Victoria was leaning out the door to one of the rooms along the corridor, more likely an accident than not, and was now staring directly at him as he made his way down the corridor. Gilbert continued walking until he was directly before her. He glanced over his shoulder at Eileen and nodded. Eileen, along with one of their escorts, went ahead. They stood in silence before one another for several seconds, both of them unsure of what to say. "Everything will be fine," he said at last. "I'll take care of everything, don't worry."

She smiled at him. "I know you will…father. Just promise me you'll be careful."

"I will. You be careful as well, Victoria." After several more seconds passed they pulled each other into an embrace. They each murmured the three words that all families were supposed to tell each other before he went on his way down the corridor. She stood and watched until he was completely gone and then for a short time thereafter.

_**-Junius Seven, 1935.**_

Signal flares from the _Minerva, Kusanagi,_ and _Vesalius_ lit up the black space. "Commander! We've run out of time," Ades warned Yzak. "We've reached critical altitude!"

"We're not done yet-!" Yzak started to say.

"The _Minerva's _going to descend into the atmosphere while firing its main cannon!" Yzak couldn't believe it. "I know it sounds crazy, but that's what it's come down to."

"Yzak, you guys have to get out of here," Athrun added. "Your machines won't last in the atmosphere." With great reluctance, Yzak finally relented and ventured back to the _Vesalius_.

"All units fall back to the _Kusanagi_!" Mwu ordered his pilots. "There's nothing more we can do, right now."

Begrudgingly, mobile suits began to filter back to their ships. Yzak, Dearka, Shiho, and the remaining forces under their command returned to the three _Nazca's_ while the bigger ships readjusted their headings to make sure that they wouldn't graze too close to the atmosphere. Junius Seven was already beginning to pulse bright red as it entered the upper atmosphere, with pieces of debris snapping off of the main structure and bursting into flames.

The _Minerva_ opened both of her hatches and began to retrieve her mobile suits, Lunamaria the first one to arrive, touching down gently on the deck, her lungs out of breath, body sweating profusely. "Use the port hatch only, Commander. The Chairman's shuttle is leaving through the starboard side."

"Roger." No sooner had he been given the order, Brad saw the small shuttle make its exit from the _Minerva's _hangar and head out into space. Brad glanced around, but besides himself the only other machine he could see was Rey's white ZAKU. "Rey, where the hell is Kid?"

"I don't know. I thought he was right behind me."

"Meyrin, where is he?" Brad asked.

"Shinn? Shinn, do you read me? Where are you?"

A jumbled answer came through the static. "…Junius Seven…Athrun…don't know where he went…going to…look for him…"

Mwu slowed his M1 down to a dragging pace as he entered the _Kusanagi's_ main hatch. He landed on the deck with a thud and took a deep breath. It _had_ been a while since he'd done that. He glanced around the hangar where all of the remaining M1's had returned ahead of him. He counted them off one by one and when he finished, he realized that two of his pilots were unaccounted for. Although it made his stomach turn, he ultimately accepted the fact that both of them had been shot down. But he couldn't afford to worry about that for long. There'd be time for grief later. He maneuvered his M1 into its designated berthing location, jumped out of the cockpit, and headed for the bridge.

"General la Flaga has landed, Captain," one of the bridge crew told the large man seated at the center of the bridge.

"All the M1's are in, Bob," Joshua added.

Jackson nodded. "All hands prepare for descent! All crews are to don normal suits and stand by are their assigned locations. Secure all air-tight doors and bulkheads. Prepare for compartment exchange. I'll leave that to you, Lieutenant."

"Roger. Hull's B through E prepare for disengagement. All crew proceed to the hull A at once. As soon as the forward and rear hulls have disconnected, proceed with the attachment of the descent module."

_Minerva _and _Kusanagi_ had both increased their speed in order to close the gap on Junius Seven. With _Minerva_ preparing to fire its main cannon, _Kusanagi_ repositioned itself to the ZAFT ship's port side, where its forward and rear modules began to detach themselves from the main hull. Using highly technological laser guidance systems, the hull components detached easily and were guided away from the _Kusanagi_ so they wouldn't burn up in the atmosphere. The _Kusanagi_ now looked more like a plain rectangular box with armor than a warship.

"Attention all hands!" Roland's deep voice echoed over the _Minerva's_ intercom system. "Upon retrieving all mobile suits this ship will continue crushing the object with the main cannon while descending into Earth's atmosphere. All hands are expected to review their manuals and take appropriate action."

"What?" Lunamaria gasped. She had just exited her ZAKU and was now standing with the mechanics outside her machine.

"We're descending?" Vino added.

"I guess we don't have much of a choice. It's either that or we let that thing hit Earth as is," Yolant summed up.

"Have Shinn and Athrun returned yet?" Talia demanded.

"No ma'am. I haven't been able to find them with all the interference Junius Seven is producing," Meyrin answered.

"Captain, we cannot proceed further with the hatches open," Arthur reminded Talia. "The ship won't survive in the atmosphere otherwise."

Sighing, Talia ordered, "Aves! Keep the hatches open as long as you can! We'll leave them open in case the Impulse or the ZAKU return in next few moments."

"I don't know how long that'll be though, Captain," Aves said regretfully.

"Keep them open," Talia repeated.

Meyrin spoke up. "We have a message from the _Kusanagi_, Captain. They say they're going to descend to Earth along with us."

"That's why they moved to our left, then," Arthur surmised.

"Tell them we acknowledge," Talia ordered. "Also let them know that we appreciate all they've done for us." Talia made sure she added that last part. After all that warship had done for them in these past few days, it was the least she could do to thank them.

At Junius Seven, Shinn hovered approximately twenty meters above the surface, his eyes sweeping the area, trying to get a sign as to where the ZAKU had gone off to. Athrun had been with him until the recall notice. Then he'd disappeared. _What the hell is he thinking?_ Shinn wondered. _Does he _want_ to burn up?_ After several moments, he saw the ZAKU. It was hanging onto a Meteor Breaker that had failed to activate and was now just sitting upright on Junius Seven's surface. Shinn eased closer, fighting gravity's pull as he moved forward. "What are you doing, Athrun? Orders have been given for us to return. You should've received the notice, or at least seen the flares!"

"Yeah, I saw them. You'd better hurry back," was the answer.

Shinn's eyes widened. "What are you saying? You'll end up being blasted away! Are you okay with that?"

Calmly, Athrun said, "Firing from a distance there's a greater margin for error even with the _Minerva's_ main cannon."

"Don't worry about it! Ian's one of the best shots in the entire ZAFT fleet!"

"Regardless. If we can at least get this one going, it'll improve the odds." Shinn looked to his sensors and they were very honest. Earth was approaching fast. However, seeing as how Athrun was showing no signs of intending to return, Shinn figured that he couldn't allow him to just die out here without trying to help.

Athrun saw the Impulse move to the other side of the Breaker and begin to force it down onto the surface. He was thankful for that. "Why would someone like you side with _Orb_?" Athrun frowned.

Suddenly, the ground below them erupted in a shower of rock and dust. The Breaker shook beneath them, but didn't topple over. "What's that?" Athrun realized what the shots were immediately. He had heard them enough over the past few years to instantly recognize them as GINN rifles.

A trio of the remaining GINNs raced towards the two vulnerable mobile suits, with Sato snarling in the lead. "You won't get away with this!"

"I won't let you do any more damage!" another pilot shouted.

"Damn, these guys are still here?" Shinn yelled. Reaching behind him for one of his beam javelins, he darted forward to engage them. Athrun held onto the Breaker, but when it became obvious that there was no other alternative, he relinquished his hold and rearmed himself with his ZAKU's beam tomahawk.

Athrun blocked a shot with his shield, but another struck the ground just below the Breaker and the giant device began to tilt. Athrun took his eyes off the GINN for a second and glanced at the Breaker, but snapped back to the GINN when he heard the pilot yell out, "My daughter's tombstone must be dropped and burned for this world to change!" His cry was cut off when the Impulse's javelin cut into the GINNs mid-section and sliced the mobile suit in two.

"Daughter?" Athrun murmured.

"What the hell was that?" Shinn echoed.

Sato darted ahead and charged at Athrun, who brought his tomahawk up to block. His tomahawk and Sato's sword smashed together in a shower of sparks which made Athrun squint against the brightness. "Who are these guys…?"

"Why have you forgotten the sorrow of the lives mercilessly thrown away here?" Sato cried. "Why do you live in a fabricated world, laughing with those who caused this?" A short distance away, Shinn blew apart the second GINN with his rail guns and then immediately froze as Sato's words reached him. Athrun's heart because to accelerate as Sato continued, images of the Bloody Valentine flooding back into his mind. "Tricked by the cowardly successors of Clyne ZAFT has changed for the worse! Why can't you realize that for us Coordinators, the path of Patrick Zala was the one and only correct path?" Athrun stiffened. His own father had been the leader of ZAFT during the last war and had been personally responsible for the deaths of thousands, if not millions, of people, Natural and Coordinator alike. He had threatened Earth itself with the GENESIS gamma ray cannon only to be thwarted by Athrun himself. How could someone believe that…?

"We've reached critical, Captain!" Aves said to Talia. "We've got to close the hatches now!"

"Do it, then!" Talia ordered. "All hands prepare for immediate descent! What about the mobile suits?"

"Still no sign of them, ma'am."

"Athrun…!" Cagalli whispered, suddenly becoming afraid that her friend wasn't going to make it.

"Reaching descent sequence, phase two!" Felix called out. His hands were tightly wound around the ship's helm and his eyes were trained directly forward at the view port which was now beginning to redden with the extreme heat. Below them, the _Minerva's_ wings slowly folded into their non-combat position beneath the ship, making them less vulnerable to the heat.

Athrun's ZAKU wasn't moving and Sato seized the opportunity and sliced cleanly through the ZAKU's right shoulder, severing its arm and leaving it suddenly vulnerable to attack. Athrun snapped back to his senses and crushed the GINN's wrist, causing Sato to drop his sword which embedded itself into the Meteor Breaker's side and somehow activated the drill, which dug into the surface and disappeared.

Sato pressed the attack again and knocked the ZAKU back onto the surface. On his back, Athrun heard Sato yell, "This time for sure, we'll let those Naturals know how we feel!" Sato aimed his rifle at the ZAKU's cockpit, but never got a shot off. Shinn had arrived and fired a quick shot with his rail guns, destroying Sato's rifle and then cut apart both of the GINNs legs with his javelin before kicking it away. "Come on!" Shinn grabbed the ZAKU by the arm and pulled Athrun up off of the surface, which was now beginning to come apart due to the atmosphere's pressure. Sato's machine flew away uncontrollably and smashed into Junius Seven's surface in a violent explosion that left a cloud of dust and fire in his wake.

Shinn attempted to guide the Impulse and Athrun's ZAKU away from Junius Seven, but the pull of Earth's gravity, coupled with Junius Seven's own force, made it next to impossible. The damage done to Athrun's arm done by Sato left his grip weak and shortly after leaving Junius Seven, his palm gave way and came apart in the Impulse's hand. Athrun's machine slipped away from the Impulse as both mobile suits plummeted into the atmosphere along with Junius Seven.

"Descent module is attached!" Joshua shouted at the top of his lungs.

"All hands stand-by for descent!" Jackson added loudly. Mwu had arrived on the bridge and took his seat to Jackson's right, still clad in his pilot suit, his helmet in his lap. He could see Junius Seven off to his right, still a large object that now seemed to be on fire as it fell toward Earth.

The view was much the same from the _Minerva's_ bridge. Talia silently hoped that they would be able to stop it, but knew there were no guarantees in situations like this. Behind her, Cagalli folded her hands in her lap and prayed that the destruction wouldn't be as bad as she feared it would be.

_**-Earth, 1940.**_

The sky over the Pacific Ocean was clear on this fall evening. The sun had just disappeared over the sea, which was reflecting the oranges, purples, and reds of the sky on its jewel-like waves. There was a calm breeze blowing on this night, which ruffled the leaves of the palm trees dotting the shore of a lone island in the middle of the ocean. It was completely deserted, except for one building on the sandy beach, where several individuals now awaited outside.

"Now, come over here everybody. Please follow me," a girl's sweet voice ordered calmly.

"What is it?

"Where are we going?" asked the innocent voice of a young girl among the crowd of children that the pink-haired woman and two other adults were leading away from the house.

"Don't worry, we're not going far," the woman echoed. She glanced ahead at the other two adults, a male and female who were leading the group into the forest behind the house. There should have been a third adult with them, but he had disappeared.

Lacus Clyne looked back towards the house, but he wasn't there. She then glanced at the beach and saw him. He was standing just short of the water's edge, hands at his sides, eyes fixated on the sky above them. The breeze blew his brown hair into his face, but he didn't seem to notice it. His violet colored eyes were focused high above him, as he saw it come slowly into view. It was like a wall of fire descending from the heavens, a devil's hand that was coming to crush the Earth. Kira Yamato let his mouth open and remain aghast as he watched Junius Seven begin its final descent into the doldrums of the Earth.

**-END PHASE-06.**


	8. Phase 07 Land of Mystery

**PHASE-07Land of Mystery**

_**-Onogoro Island, Orb Union, October 3, C.E. 73, 2045.**_

Grant Worcester was cold. Every inch of his body was encased within a cocoon of chilly, late evening air, the lone exception being the palms of his hands and fingers, which were wrapped securely around the silvery surface of his Zippo windproof lighter. The tiny flame emitted by the Zippo flickered in the wind up towards the end of his Marlboro Red, lodged firmly between his pink lips. The flame brushed against the end of the cigarette, paused momentarily before spreading to the white portion of the length, and then began to move towards his lips as he inhaled briskly. Extinguishing the lighter, he puffed on his Marlboro twice more before removing it with his index and middle fingers, tilted his head upwards slightly and exhaled white clouds of smoke through his lips and nostrils. There was nothing like a late-evening cigarette to remind him that he was alive.

Pocketing his Zippo, Grant tilted at his dark sunglasses, usually nonexistent in the late evening hours with normal people, and leaned over the black metal railing that separated his body from the rough sea below him. Making sure not to use the hand holding his cigarette, he ran his other hand through his light brown, almost auburn colored hair, feeling how it ran smoothly through his fingers like a surfboard on the waves. After taking another puff from his cigarette, he looked up into the darkening late evening sky, waiting for it to appear.

"I thought I'd find you out here."

Grant grinned behind his cigarette. "I wanted to see this for myself," he said to Hector Rodriguez, who came up from behind and stood beside him against the railing. Hector's short, scruffy goatee was almost invisible at night against his dark skin complexion, but his pearly blue eyes gleamed brightly as he faced Grant.

He snorted. "A big nasty object is heading toward us and you want to watch. Why doesn't that surprise me?" He folded his arms. "You know you're gonna get your ass handed to you by the Sergeant when you get back, right?"

"If you know that, then why are you out here?" Grant shot back.

"To drag you back to the shelter. I don't want some flaming rock flying down from the sky and crushing you," Hector retorted.

"Nothing's gonna hit me," Grant said, more out of confidence than anything else.

"Yeah, it could easily hit something else around here that would shield you," Hector said sarcastically. "Oh wait a minute," he continued, spreading his arms majestically, "we're right in the middle of an _airfield_! There's _nothing_ out here that could act as a shield." Both men were standing on the southern edge of a one runway airfield that had been rarely used in the years previous, before they and their unit had been transferred here four months earlier. The rumor was that the military was going to tear the old airfield up and put up new industrial facilities for the Morgenrate company, until Morgenrate themselves presented the military with the project which Grant and Hector now were working on and the airfield had been kept open.

Grant continued grinning as he removed his cigarette from between his lips. "Are you being serious?"

"_No_, I'm humoring you. _Of course I'm serious_! It's not my fault you're a dumb-ass who doesn't care if he gets crushed."

"Kiss my ass."

"Screw you!"

Grant laughed. "You're _way_ too concerned about others around you."

"Yeah, yeah…" Hector mumbled. This was common conversation between the two of them. They'd get into a verbal scuffle and then laugh it off a few seconds later. That was the product of a long-time friendship.

Taking one last delicate puff from his Marlboro, Grant removed the tobacco product from his mouth and tossed it casually onto the ground before stomping it out with his foot. "Did your family make it to the shelters?" he asked as he smoothed out the remains of his cigarette butt.

"Yeah, I got a call from my sister a little while ago…they all made it to one of 'em," Hector responded. "She told me not to worry about 'em, but I can't help it. They're all I've got left…"

"At least you've _got_ something to worry about," Grant reminded him. "Me…I've got nothing to worry about except me…and what the hell I'm gonna have for breakfast tomorrow."

Hector chuckled. "And people wonder why you think the way you do…"

They stood in silence for several minutes, the only sound either the gentle lapping of the crystal waves beneath them, or the calm, pleasant rush of the breeze nipping at their skin. Grant lit another cigarette and stared out over the expanse of the ocean. "You think we'll be called up after this?" He looked to his right. Hector's blue eyes were trained on the cloudless sky above them. "To the service that is."

Grant looked back out to the sea. "I don't know. We've only been using those things for four months, and two of those were strictly simulator runs. And yet…the Sergeant says we're already some of the best young guns he's ever seen…and he's been around for _quite_ a while."

"All I'm hoping for is that people will actually use their _heads_ for once in this kind of situation."

"They will," Grant reassured him.

As Grant took a puff from his cigarette, during which he watched the bright orange embers begin to trail up the length of the cigarette, he saw it appear high in the sky out above the ocean. Junius Seven was like a wall of fire as it slowly descended into the atmosphere, pieces of flaming material jetting off in all different directions once they were separated from the main body. The bright light that the object projected was enough to make the ocean below it glow bright orange and cause both of them to squint their eyes against the glow.

"That thing's big alright," Hector murmured.

"It's supposed to be a habitat for millions of people; of _course_ it's huge," Grant retorted.

"I know that, I'm just pointing it out for extra emphasis."

"In other words, you've confirmed yourself to be a regular Captain Obvious."

"Shut up."

They could now see the bulk of Junius Seven above them now. It now looked more like a meteor than anything that once could have resembled a PLANT. Grant took his cigarette from his lips and exhaled smoke through his nose. "It's getting pretty low huh," Hector observed.

"Uh-huh," Grant responded.

Stretching his arms above his head, Hector groaned, "Time to run?"

Grant smashed the cigarette butt under the sole of his shoe. "Yep!" Instantaneously, both of them took off at a dead sprint across the grass and concrete that was the airfield. They never bothered to look back, as they knew the only thing they would see was destruction rapidly approaching.

_**-Minerva, Earth's Atmosphere, 2045.**_

"How long until we reach phase three, Arthur?" Talia demanded.

"Two and a half minutes!"

"Once we enter phase three we won't be able to fire the Tannhauser, Captain," Ian reported. "The heat will be too intense and if we leave the Tannhauser exposed the heat will reach the inside of the ship and our chances for survival will be almost nothing."

"What's our current position relative to Junius Seven?" Talia asked.

"Distance 350 to starboard! Speed 124, descent angle 49 degrees," Bart said.

"Will you be able to get us into firing position, Felix?"

"If you tell Chief Aves to ensure that the engines keep going, we'll fine."

"Tell the crew in the engine room, Meyrin! What's the _Kusanagi's_ current position?"

"Directly to our port side, Captain," Arthur said. "Distance 90."

"They're giving us enough room to fire the Tannhauser," Roland said. "We just have to be careful that we don't get pulverized by any flying rocks."

On the _Kusanagi_, Jackson listened to Nate's report from the bowels of the ship. "All personnel have reached their assigned stations. All bulkheads and air-tight doors have been sealed, Captain."

"Well-done, Chief. Make sure everyone down there has a firm hold on something."

"Roger."

"What's the status on descent?"

"We'll reach phase three shortly, Captain," Josh told him from the CIC below Jackson's seat.

Jackson looked toward Mwu. "Any orders, General?"

Mwu folded his hands. "Keep us on this course and make sure we don't get hit by any stray pieces."

"Yes, sir." As the _Kusanagi_ slipped further and further into the depths of the atmosphere, the resistance the planet put up became more and more intense. The ship was now clearly beginning to shake due to the pressure, but fortunately the helm wasn't having any trouble keeping the big ship on its descent course. Unless something unforeseen happened to them, they would make it down to Earth's surface without incident. However, because this entire incident had been completely unforeseen as it was, the possibilities of something indeed happening did not leave the minds of the crew.

"Two minutes remaining!"

"Meyrin. Have you bee able to locate the Impulse or the ZAKU?" Talia demanded.

"No, ma'am. There's still too much interference."

_If we don't know where the mobile suits are…we could end up destroying them by accident…_ The thought made Talia's insides squirm.

"Can you get me an accurate bearing, Felix?" Ian asked his friend.

"You just make sure you take that thing out and everything will be fine," Felix responded confidently.

"Is everything ready, Ian?" Talia asked.

"Only awaiting your orders, Captain."

"One minute and forty-five seconds, remaining!" Arthur added, keeping a close eye on the monitor in front of him.

"Activate Tannhauser!" Talia ordered at last. "Do your best to avoid the Impulse and the ZAKU, Ian!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"If you see any sign of them, Meyrin, report it immediately!"

"Roger!"

Behind Talia, Cagalli gripped the arm rests of her chair forcefully. She took a deep breath and steadied herself, making sure her posture was completely straight. Although deep inside she was deathly concerned for Athrun's safety, she knew she couldn't afford to show it on the outside. She was Orb's leader, and in this important situation she had to remain calm and allow the _Minerva's_ crew to do their job. Still, that didn't stop her from silently coaxing Athrun on to safety. _Be careful Athrun…we're firing on Junius Seven now…just make sure you get out of this alive…come back, okay…Athrun…?_

"Aim at the large object to starboard!" Talia said professionally. "Turn bow right sixty degrees and activate all thrusters to keep us level!"

"Keep your eyes open for loose debris!" Roland warned everyone. "We can't afford to get hit by something because we're not paying attention!"

"One minute and thirty seconds to phase three!"

On the far side of Junius Seven, Shinn kept the Impulse under an easy control as he readjusted his bearing through the machine's diagnostics. His mind went back to his training where Commander Bourdais and other instructors had taught him the procedures for an unshielded descent into the atmosphere. _Adjusting entry angle. Cooling systems all clear._ His right hand typed quickly while his left held onto the control stick. _Automatic attitude control system, on! Set BCS to neutral. Nice! _He brought his cannons back into their trail position at the Impulse's backside and turned his machine head-first towards the Earth, which was coming towards him quickly. The heat convection was being deflected by the Impulse's cooling system nicely, which meant that Shinn was safe for now. However, ZAKUs weren't equipped with such an effective cooling system, so that other guy would be in more danger. "Where is he?" Shinn asked himself. The ZAKU had been right beside him earlier until the pressure from the atmosphere forced them apart. Now, in a relatively safe position, Shinn's gaze shifted from right to left, trying to locate the smaller mobile suit.

He saw the ZAKU's still active engines directly ahead of him. Leaning slightly on the Impulse's thrusters, Shinn glided down towards the ZAKU. Inside the cockpit, Athrun worked the controls feverishly. His already damaged mobile suit was having a difficult time navigating the atmosphere and when his left arm broke from its shoulder joint and exploded gallantly just a short distance away from him, it only made matters worse. "Damn. Perhaps it's because of the damage, but the temperature of the right leg is increasing too quickly. At this rate it'll tear the joint completely apart. Can I make it…?" Glancing at his monitors, Athrun noticed another dreary sight. "At this angle I'll land in a completely different location than the _Minerva_…damn! Without a booster, I guess there's just now ay to enter the atmosphere."

"Hey! Athrun! Athrun!"

"Shinn?" '

Athrun craned his neck over his right shoulder and saw the Impulse coming up slowly from behind. "Grab onto me! If you want to stay in one piece stay with me!" Shinn said.

"Stop it! Even the Impulse doesn't have enough thrust to withstand the fall of two machines!"

"Cry me a river! Don't tell me what can or can't be done, just grab on!"

Sighing in defeat, Athrun changed his position and allowed Shinn to come up next to him. Shinn then positioned the Impulse's right arm around the ZAKU's shoulders and instructed Athrun to place his shield in front of them in order to deflect some of the pressure and heat. "Thanks!" Athrun admonished.

"We're not out of the woods yet," Shinn pointed out. "Stay with me and hang on!"

"Right!"

"One minute to phase three!"

"Fire Tannhauser!" Talia shouted. Ian's console matched its designations and gave him the indication that the timing was correct. Without hesitation, he typed in the activation code and fired the mighty Tannhauser plasma cannon at the smoldering rock face now directly ahead of him thanks to Felix's maneuvering.

The first shot was true, striking the object on the lower right portion closest to the _Minerva_. The impact crushed the surface and penetrated deep inside the crust, severing a piece of the rock and sending it flailing away, narrowly missing the _Minerva_ by a matter of meters. Talia ordered another attack and Ian blasted away once again, the next shot impacting just above the first shot. This one however, did less damage because it was destroying an area that had already been hit hard and the only visible damage done was the loosening of several rock faces that subsequently drifted away from the main object. Beside the _Minerva,_ Mwu, Jackson, Josh, and the rest of the _Kusanagi's_ bridge crew looked on silently. They knew that if the _Minerva_ couldn't destroy Junius Seven, there would be no telling the destruction that would be wrought on Earth.

Ian adjusted his setting and fired two more shots, both of which blew away large pieces of debris. It was the fifth shot that did the most damage however. The attack struck Junius Seven almost dead center and this one penetrated the deepest by far.

Immediately after the impact, the entire surface of Junius Seven was awash in fire and dust. "What happened?" Arthur wondered out loud.

"It penetrated completely that's what happened," Roland answered. "Watch it, there's gonna be debris coming at us any second now!"

"Fifteen seconds remaining!"

"I can't get an accurate bearing any longer with all that dust, Captain," Ian reported.

"Retract the Tannhauser! All personnel are to stand-by at their designated descent position! It's going to be a bumpy ride. Everyone hang on!" Almost the moment Talia uttered those commands, the _Minerva's_ view screens were engulfed in static. The ship shook violently as the pressures of the atmosphere swamped it.

"We've reached phase three!" Felix readjusted the _Minerva's _bow angle back down towards the planet and the ship began its descent into the Earth's atmosphere, with the remnants of Junius Seven directly beside them.

The passage through the atmosphere only served to enhance the destructiveness the fragments of Junius Seven's once massive surface wrought. Due to the extreme heat, fires broke out on the rocks, turning them into flaming missiles that were aimed directly at the surface of the blue and green planet below them. One by one the fragments split away from each other, traveling in different directions with trails of fire in their wake. Not one fragment struck the same area as one of its brothers and the radius of their destruction was immense.

One of the first fragments to impact splashed into the northern portion of the Atlantic Ocean just southeast of Iceland. As a result of the sudden impact, massive tsunami waves were created in a matter of moments, which raced in all directions across the ocean's rapidly rising surface. These huge waves continued their travels until they reached a breaking point, which turned out to be the western shores of Great Britain and Iceland's southern coast. The water first receded back to amazing lengths, revealing the sea bed that had been submerged for thousands of years. Then the water rushed forward at an incredible speed, swarming over the coasts, drowning anything that lay in their paths. The coastal cities and towns on Britain and Ireland's western had no chance to survive and they were gone within a matter of moments. The water was only halted by the rolling hills of Britain's central land mass, where much of the population had retreated in the name of safety.

Other fragments also impacted the oceans, with the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas, overflowing their edges and dumping tons of water onto coastal areas that were especially prone to the waves. Cities such as Shanghai, Savannah, Alexandria, and Athens were all obliterated by the tsunamis. The water levels rose to astronomical heights, destroying everything that lay ahead of them, washing away in a matter of seconds what it had taken humans hundreds of years to construct.

The Earth's green areas were not spared the destruction however. Several fragments struck in the centers of the continents. These fragments caused tremendous explosions that shook the entire land masses to their crusts, causing fissures to develop on the surface and towns unfortunate enough to be caught in the path were plunged into the depths of the Earth. The cities of Philadelphia and Rome were on the receiving ends of direct hits, which totally destroyed the wide-spanning metropolitan areas in a matter of seconds in a cloud of fire and dust. Other historical landmarks were also destroyed, such as Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota, the Taj Mahal in India, and portions of the Great Wall of China, the landmarks erased from their resting places as if they were pencil scribbles.

The explosions could be heard from thousands of miles away and they could be seen from orbit. In the _Girty Lue's _observation room, Sting, Stella, Auel, and Orga all watched breathless as the planet seemed to be trembling in sadness below them. The explosions appeared to be large dots of yellow and orange, engulfing cities, towns, and other features of the continents, in their mad dash across the land.

Sting stood with his right hand pressed on one side against the transparent view port and the other across his forehead. His other hand was clenched into a fist at his side and his face displayed an expression of unbelieving and devastation He knew full well that there were people down there in the middle of those explosions, underneath those tsunami waves, at the bottom of those fissures. He knew they were dying. It was almost as if he could hear their screams, but that was just his imagination putting false sounds into his mind.

He heard footsteps behind him and turned to watch Orga silently leave the room, his hands shoved into the pockets of his blue Earth Forces jacket. Once he was outside and the door had closed, Sting could hear something crash in the corridor. Orga was venting his frustrations out on the ship; Sting couldn't blame him.

Stella sighed quietly beside him. She spoke hoarsely. "All those people…will they die? Are they all…going to die…?"

He knew she was scared. These kinds of things always seemed to strike a chord in Stella, but for whatever reason, Sting hadn't a clue. He whispered her name and reassured her that everything would be alright. Almost as a thank you, Stella leaned in close to him and laid her head on his shoulder. Sting wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders and let her stay there. It was good to have someone to hold on to at a time like this after all.

Secluded from the rest of the world, Kira, Lacus, the Reverend Malchio, Kira's mother Caridad Yamato, and the orphans, sat quietly inside the small steel shelter located underneath their island home. After a short walk, they had managed to bring all of the orphans into the small chamber where they would be safe from the falling fragments. Kira's pet bird Torii and Lacus' toy companion HARO raised up their usual commotion, with HARO bouncing around the room while Torii remained glued to Kira's shoulder. Many of the children didn't quite understand what was happening, but Kira could sense that they all were very afraid. Lacus was doing her best to calm them down, but that didn't stop some of the young children from expressing their fears out loud.

"What's coming? Miss Lacus, what's coming?"

"Do we have to stay here forever?"

"Everything will be fine. We'll only be here for a little while," Lacus reassured them in her usual kindly voice. She and Kira sat on one side amongst the crowd of orphans while the other adults waited with the rest on the opposite side of the room. "This will be over very soon."

Not a moment sooner, the entire room began to tremble, slightly at first, but then escalating into a small roar. Among the orphan's fearful cries, Kira leaned back against the wall of the shelter and kept his breathing at a relaxed level. He could feel the fragments of Junius Seven crashing into the Earth just a few meters away. As a Coordinator, not only were Kira's reflexes and mind advanced beyond a normal human being's, but his other senses such as hearing were also at a greater state of advancement. The explosions and waves that were overcoming the surface of the Earth were deafening to him. Their rings echoed through his ear drums and into his mind, flooding it with deadly roars and devastating cries of sorrow.

The lights along the shelter's ceiling were now beginning to flicker on and off every few seconds. The orphans were growing more and more afraid as well. "What was that?"

"I'm scared!"

"Don't worry. There's nothing to worry about." Lacus continued to try to calm down the children, but her efforts were going for naught. Another huge shockwave rocked the shelter as Kira sensed another fragment impact near the island. Whether it had landed on the water or land, he couldn't tell. He kept his ears trained on the outside, trying to get a sense as to where the impacts were coming from and how much danger they really were in. The orphans on either side of him clung to his sides forcefully and Kira didn't stop them. It wasn't long ago that he had been the same scared little child encompassed in the same fear. The last war had changed all that, but the feeling did not escape Kira's conscience by any means.

It was then that Kira's hearing perception picked up another sound, this one much lighter and gentle than the shockwaves outside. It was coming from his left; Lacus was singing.

_Beneath a veil,_

_As cold as this,_

_You sleep so deeply,_

_All alone._

The orphan's cries had died down as they listened to Lacus' calm, serene voice hum out the words to her song. They listened to her heavenly voice and their fear began to slowly evaporate. Kira could sense that their fear was retreating into the confines of their consciences and now their attention was focused on Lacus and her song. Torii lifted off of his shoulder as Kira shut his eyes and trained all of his senses on the sounds that he was hearing, both inside the shelter and outside on the surface of the Earth.

_The melody of a prayer,_

_Across the lonely fields,_

_A little light,_

_Began to shine._

Kira's ears picked up the sounds of the Earth shaking as the fragments continued to pelt its surface. However, mixed with the serene melody of Lacus' voice, it was almost as if the Earth itself was singing. It seemed to be calling out to them in song, telling the people not to be afraid and to hang on to their faith. _There's nothing to worry about…_Kira reiterated to himself. _This will not stop the people…this will not stop their will to live._

_I watched as you dreamed,_

_You laughed like a child._

_So familiar, and yet so far,_

_That is the promise of our future._

_That one day, on a green morning,_

_One day, we will make it there._

_Because in this sky of darkest winter,_

_We still believe._

_Fields of Hope._

Kira allowed himself a peaceful sigh. This may be the world's darkest hour, but in the aftermath, it would hopefully lead to a beautiful tomorrow.

_**-Minerva, 2130.**_

After its rough descent into the upper atmosphere, the _Minerva_ had endured a violent journey through the burning hot gasses that made up the Earth's air supply and now finally had emerged into the lower atmosphere where the pressure had at last begun to let up.

"Captain. We've reached a low enough altitude. We can now switch to aerodynamic control," Felix reported to Talia.

"Very good. Deploy the main wings! Move cautiously though, Felix."

"Yes, ma'am! Deploying main wings! Switching to atmospheric flight." Felix raised the _Minerva's_ bow and spread her wings so that she would be able to glide down towards the surface.

"What's the status on weapons systems?"

"The Tannhauser was scorched pretty badly during reentry but other than that everything held up nicely," Ian reported.

"Bart. What's our current position relative to the ground?" Talia inquired.

"We're over the Pacific Ocean approximately 2500 kilometers southwest of Hawaii, Captain," Bart said.

"At least we'll have a soft landing then," Talia said mostly to herself. "How are communications and sensors?"

"Offline." Meyrin added, "Radio waves are unreliable due to the falling fragments."

Talia frowned. "Use lasers or thermal sensors or something, then! We need to find the Impulse and the ZAKU!"

Meyrin typed commands into her console, but nothing was coming up. "Here. The ocean currents are interfering with the signals, which are only making it harder to see." Meyrin glanced over her shoulder where Cagalli was now looking down toward her console. "If you increase the laser output and decreased the range, you should be able to cancel out the currents' interference."

"How do you know all this?" Meyrin asked incredulously, wondering how in the world Cagalli could know how to operate a ship's laser and thermal detectors.

Cagalli managed a small smile. "I served in the desert and the ocean during the last war, so I've learned a thing or two about bypassing sensors interference. If you do that, you should be able to find the mobile suits."

While Cagalli worked with Meyrin, Roland turned to Talia and said, "Do you think they've descended safely?"

Talia sighed. "You may find it strange, after I ordered the Tannhauser fired without hesitation…but I want to believe they're alright."

"Is that it…?" Meyrin mumbled. Then her console lit up. "Sensors are detecting something! Seven o'clock, distance 400!"

"What is it?" Talia demanded.

"I…I can't tell exactly from this distance…"

"Can you bring up a visual?" Arthur suggested.

"Hang on…there!" On the view screen at the front of the bridge, the image of two mobile suits appeared, the Impulse, and the ZAKU held in its grip.

"That's the Impulse alright," Roland observed. "Looks as if the ZAKU is okay too." Cagalli breathed a sigh of relief.

"Arthur. Give them a sign using the signal flares," Talia ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Felix, bring the ship closer to them. We have to catch them quickly or they'll crash into the ocean's surface."

A short distance away, the heavily damaged ZAKU was barely holding itself together. The descent into the atmosphere had charred the green mobile suit's body a dirty black and there were small cascades of steam billowing from the machine's joints. Athrun gripped the controls firmly, but when the ZAKU's shield tore itself away from the machine, the ZAKU became harder to control. Luckily, with Shinn and the Impulse holding onto him, their descent remained at least somewhat organized. "Easy, Shinn…there might not be any way for us to finish the descent together-"

"Take it easy, I know what I'm doing." Shinn eased back on the Impulse's thrusters and tried to slow their descent towards the blue ocean that was rapidly approaching below them. He spoke to Athrun through the static filled radio. "Why must you always insist on telling us what _can't_ be done?"

Athrun sighed. "Okay, then what would you rather I tell you?"

"Something like, 'Help me, you bastard!' or something else like that!"

"You would prefer _that_?"

"No. That's just an example," Shinn responded drearily.

Suddenly, a bright flash of red appeared in the sky to their left. "That's the _Minerva_!" Shinn observed. His eyes scanned the area. "Where is it…?"

"Below us, ten o'clock," Athrun told him. They could barely see it from this distance, but Shinn recognized the _Minerva's_ bright red wings and immediately changed course towards the mighty battleship. It took several minutes, but he was able to maneuver both machine's over toward the _Minerva's_ position and touched down on the rear deck with a gentle landing.

"The Impulse and the ZAKU have landed," Meyrin reported.

"Put us on the water then, Felix," Talia commanded. "Gently, if you can manage it."

The hangar crew brought both mobile suits into the hangar via the main hatches. Shinn and Athrun remained in their respective cockpits while this process was going on. "Why the hell did you even launch in the first place?" Shinn asked out of the blue.

Athrun shook his head. "What would you have done in my place?"

"Huh?"

"If you had been in my situation, with a mobile suit available, would you have remained behind while Junius Seven was falling?"

"Of course not!" Shinn answered.

"Then there's your answer," Athrun said blankly. "If I had the power to make a difference, I had to put it to use. It wouldn't have made sense for me to remain behind. I'd be concerned a coward anyway, correct?"

"Yeah, I guess so…"

The _Minerva_ descended slowly towards the ocean, both wings extended so it could literally glide through the ocean currents and splash down on the water. Keeping a close eye on his sensors, Felix guided the big ship slowly down, skimming the water's surface for a few seconds before settling down onto the waves. Amid the ship's shaking as it settled into the water, he pulled back on the ship's controls and killed the engines, bringing the huge ship to a slow stop. When the _Minerva_ finally settled onto the water, there was an eerie silence throughout the ship. It was almost as if every member of the crew was breathing a sigh of relief at this moment.

Inside the ship's hangar bay, Athrun followed the indicators and set the ZAKU against the facility's starboard bulkhead. Outside, Brad finished his conversation with Aves regarding his own ZAKU before proceeding across the deck and heading towards the badly damaged, but still intact, ZAKU. Lunamaria came beside him and asked, "How do you think we did?"

"Well enough," Brad responded. His voice was frank. "We won't know the extent of the damage until the reports come in, but right now…I'm going to assume that we saved at least a few lives by our efforts."

"That doesn't sound very optimistic," Lunamaria observed.

"Well, I'm not a very optimistic person, now am I?" That comment did not generate a response from Lunamaria. She was more confused than anything else.

Athrun was now descending from the cockpit with help from the ZAKU's lift cable. Brad stopped at the base of the mobile suit and folded his arms. "This may only be a guess on my part," he began, "but based on your actions out there, I've come to the conclusion that you've already accepted the fact that you're completely insane."

Touching down on the deck, Athrun released his hold on the cable. "When you've been in as many battles as I have, you have to accept the fact that you're a little insane…especially if you can get back inside one of these things every time."

"I'll say. What is this, the fifth mobile suit you've torn up in your career?" Brad asked.

"Something like that," Athrun answered. "I stopped counting a while ago."

"You were amazing," Lunamaria said. "The stories about you _are _true." Athrun tried to smile, but was slightly unnerved.

"Athrun!" Glancing to his right, Athrun saw Cagalli come sprinting through the hangar towards him. She was gasping for air by the time she reached him. Then she threw her arms around him and hugged him. Athrun stiffened when she did this and he noticed Lunamaria give him a curious look. He merely shut his eyes and let Cagalli hold onto him.

Suddenly, the ship started to shake again. "Wh-What? What is it now?" Lunamaria wondered out loud.

"It's the shockwaves of the first fragments after circumnavigating the globe," Brad said.

"They can travel that far?"

"If they're powerful enough. This probably is only the start of problems," Brad finished darkly. Athrun nodded in concurrence with his observation.

At the other side of the hangar, Shinn descended towards the deck where Rey was waiting for him. "Rey!"

"Are you alright?" the blond haired pilot asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What about you?"

"The same. Although I have to admit, this situation hasn't shown any improvement." Shinn felt the ship shake and had to agree with Rey's assessment.

"Hey Kid! Rey!" Brad was calling out to them from across the hangar. "The Captain's giving us some downtime! Go get something to eat and then get some sleep! I'll talk to you two again in the morning!"

"Thank you, Commander!" Rey responded.

"Thank God…" Shinn murmured as he started to walk away. "My head is _killing_ me…"

On the bridge, Talia dismissed many of the crew for downtime, leaving herself, Roland, and Arthur as the only crewmembers remaining on the bridge. Sighing, Talia leaned back into the confines of her chair and got in a moment of relaxation amid this sea of chaos that had usurped her emotions for most of the day.

"Do you think we did alright?" Roland asked to no one in particular. He had taken Felix's place at the helm and was now guiding the _Minerva_ across the sea.

"I'm hoping that we at least made some difference in the outcome…" Arthur put in. "If not…then it's very unfortunate…"

"I'm wondering if I did the right thing as well…" Talia said. She pinched the top of her nose with her index and middle fingers. "I put the entire crew in danger for a near suicide attempt to stop Junius Seven from falling. If it hadn't worked and we'd all been killed…"

"We would've died doing something worth our lives," Roland reassured her. "Even if we'd all died, we at least saved some lives on Earth by our actions. You have to at least look at it that way, Talia. And the fact is, the ship survived, as did all of us. Allow us to at least thank you for that."

Talia smiled behind her hand. "Thanks to you we can finally breathe a sigh of relief, Captain," Arthur added. "We've finally earned ourselves a bit of a respite from all the chaos that's been happening."

"Yes…at least we have that much…" Talia admitted. They sat in silence for a short while before Arthur's console alerted him to an incoming transmission. He scanned the document thoroughly.

"It's from the _Kusanagi_, Captain. They've landed safely approximately sixty kilometers to our northwest."

"What's the rest of it say?" Talia asked, coming up behind him.

Arthur read: "We would personally like to thank you for your efforts in crushing Junius Seven. Many of us will be forever in your debt for your courageous actions. We hope that everyone on board your ship made it out safely and that you will be able to continue onwards on your journey. As a sign of thanks, General Vernes would like to personally invite the Captain and the other officers to join him on board, should our ships meet up again in the future. Once again, our greatest thanks to you and your crew."

Arthur pursed his lips. "That's all it says."

"He's still referring to himself in his alias," Talia said. "The Earth Forces must still be after him."

Roland turned to face them. "You want to do what he says and meet up with him, Talia?"

"We'll worry about that in the morning. For now, send a reply that we acknowledge their message and we would like to rendezvous with them again tomorrow," Talia said. "Set a course for their position. After that…we'll see what happens."

_**-Minerva, Pacific Ocean, October 4, C.E. 73, 0930.**_

_Mornings on Earth are a lot different from the ones in space…_ Vino's sentiment was a direct result of the dramatic differences he'd discovered between space and the Earth. After waking up and literally falling out of bed, his was the top bunk; he'd dropped his cup of mouthwash on the floor of his room where it shattered into little pieces. Gravity was a difficult thing to manage when one had spent the last six months in space training.

After breakfast, Vino went searching for his friends, and finally located them in one of the _Minerva's_ briefing rooms on the B deck below the bridge. The room was slightly darkened, but he could make out the figures of Brad, who was leaned up against the wall next to the doorway with his arms folded, Ian and Victoria, seated next to each other on one of the sofas, Bart, Meyrin, and Yolant, seated on another of the sofas, each of their eyes trained on the small holoprojector in the middle of the room.

Vino made his way over to where Yolant was seated cross legged and sat beside him. "What's going on?" he asked, referring to the images on the holoprojector.

"Damage reports from the impact sites," Yolant replied quickly. Vino didn't have to say anything else.

The pictures on the screen now were of a completely desolated in Italy. It was shocking to discover as the reporter spoke in Italian, that the now almost completely destroyed area was once the location of the mighty city of Rome. "_It is believed that the impact location of the fragment, was approximately two kilometers north of the Coliseum, which as you can see from these images has been completely obliterated, along with much of the city…it us unknown at this time…how many casualties have been suffered, but…I'm afraid…that the numbers may…unfortunately…be staggeringly high…"_ The reporter's unseen voice was cracking as he spoke, indicating that he too was in disbelief as what he saw.

"Man…that's unbelievable…" Vino stuttered.

"Looks as if all our efforts were for naught…" Yolant agreed.

The new image on the screen was that of a reporter sitting behind a desk in his news station. "Overall, it has been confirmed that areas along the eastern seaboard, ranging from the Hudson River to the Chesapeake Bay, were hit extremely hard by both tsunami waves and a direct impact from a fragment that is believed to have struck along the border between Pennsylvania and New Jersey, directly across from the city of Philadelphia, which has reported major damage to many facilities in the metropolitan area." Images of destroyed homes and wildlife appeared on the projector, a sign of the destruction. Animals could be seen running in every direction, looking for somewhere to go, but their homes in the woods had been completely destroyed in the same way the humans' had.

Other shots of Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia confirmed everyone's fears. The impact of Junius Seven had indeed caused widespread devastation. "I didn't think it would be _this_ bad," Victoria said quietly in a melancholy tambour.

"Me neither," Ian agreed. Wiping his glasses off with a linen cloth, he added, "But I have a bad feeling about this." Victoria glanced at him. "What will the governments of the Earth do? Especially if they find out about the GINNs…things will almost certainly get hectic around here." Turning her gaze back to the projector, Victoria silently agreed. Inside her mind, she thought about their father, who was probably back at the PLANTs by now. _What will you do father? How are you going to handle all this…?_

At the ship's bow, Aves and two other mechanics finished putting the final checks on the _Minerva's_ sole aquatic shuttle. Inside the doorway, keeping themselves shielded from the crisp, salty ocean breeze outside, Talia, Arthur, and Roland waited patiently for their transport to be completed. "Is Commander Bourdais coming with us?" Talia asked. Both Roland and Arthur gave her a confused look. Talia immediately realized their response. "Sorry…I forgot he doesn't like these kinds of things…"

"He doesn't like _much_," Roland agreed.

"Hey, lay off," Arthur rebutted.

"Sorry, I can't help it if the guy doesn't make some effort to act like an officer in the military." Roland snorted. "He still acts as if he's a regular enlisted guy like Shinn or Lunamaria."

"He's a good pilot, you have to give him that much," Arthur said.

"Yeah, yeah…"

After hopping up onto the deck, Aves signaled to them that the craft was ready. As they emerged, Arthur's voice spoke up over the wind and the waves lapping up against the ship's hull. "So what does he want to talk about exactly?"

"I don't know!" Talia shouted. "My guess is that he wants to thank us, like he said in the message last night!"

"What kind of General thanks other soldiers in person?" Arthur wondered out loud as he sat down in the craft's rear seat.

"A nice one, apparently," Roland responded. Aves released the line from the deck and the craft's pilot drifted away from the ship and headed in the direction of the _Kusanagi_, which had met up with the _Minerva_ earlier in the morning and now was only a short distance away.

On the _Minerva's_ foredeck, the remaining pilots watched as the officers were whisked away aboard the craft. They could see the _Kusanagi_ in the distance, now a shell of its former self thanks to the reentry. "This is the Pacific Ocean huh," Lunamaria observed. "It's huge!"

"The water that's preserved here covers over two-fifths of the Earth's surface," Rey observed. "There's nothing mightier than this in the world."

"You can say that again." Lunamaria glanced at Shinn, who was standing on the other side of her. "What's wrong Shinn?"

"Huh?" His mind had been elsewhere apparently. "Oh…nothing."

"You're from Orb originally right? Then you've seen the ocean before."

"Yeah, I lived a little ways away from it," Shinn reiterated. "Mayu and I used to go swimming in it every weekend…" The thought of his sister made Shinn's stomach turn.

"So what do you think we'll do now?" Lunamaria asked to no one in particular.

"Who knows?" Rey answered. "We'll probably know once the Captain and the other officers get from talking to that guy on the _Kusanagi_."

"You think we'll go to Orb?" Shinn asked him.

"I don't know. Maybe." Shinn frowned. _Back to Orb…_ The thought made his insides twist even worse than they already had.

_**-Kusanagi, Pacific Ocean, 0950.**_

"Make sure both the lines are secure!" Nate's voice was partially drowned out by the wind, but his men had no problem understanding what had to be done, as they were accustomed to work on the ocean, where much of their original training had taken place. Tossing his cigarette into the ocean, Nate quickly lit another before heading over to the spot where the _Kusanagi's_ entrance ramp was being lowered to the transport craft. Talia was the first to step up towards the deck, where Nate awaited with his hand extended. "Allow me, ma'am," he offered in a sophisticated mannerism that contrasted sharply with his appearance, dressed in a greasy jump-suit with smears on his face and a cigarette in his mouth. Talia accepted his hand with a smile and stepped onto the deck. She pushed a lock of golden blond hair out of her face and held it behind her ear to keep it out of the breeze. Roland and Arthur followed out of the craft. Nate shook their hands and pointed to a nearby hatchway which would take them into the ship.

Josh was brushing off the shoulder of his military uniform when Talia and the others stepped inside the ship. Snapping to attention immediately, he offered a salute, which they returned. "Captain Gladys," he began smartly, his voice almost equal to that of a tenor saxophone. "Welcome aboard the _Kusanagi_ ma'am. The General and the Captain have been expecting you. Please follow me."

He led them into a corridor that ran adjacent to the ship's port side where their transport craft was docked. The corridor consisted of quarters and other facilities used by the ship's crews. This section led into the _Kusanagi's_ hangar deck, where they emerged on a balcony overlooking the facility. Talia, Arthur, and Roland looked out across the vast hangar which was encased in an invisible cloud of noise stemming from the grinding of tools and the howling of voices. "We're now in the hangar portion of the ship," Josh informed them. "I'm sure it's nothing compared the one on board the _Minerva_, but it suffices our needs."

"How long has this ship been in service?" Talia inquired as they left the hangar and entered another corridor, this one containing the ship's main mess where many of the crew were enjoying breakfast at this time.

"This is second of the _Izumo_-class after the namesake ship herself. She was completed in the spring of C.E. 69 and put into service that fall. Here, we'll take this lift up to the A deck where the General's office is." He waited until the three ZAFT personnel entered and then stepped inside himself. After activating the lift he cleared his throat and continued. "Currently this ship serves as the flagship of the Orb Space Fleet, but as you can see it's fully capable of operating on Earth as well."

"How long have you been aboard?" Talia asked.

"I came aboard along with the Captain and much of the present crew in April of '71. We've served aboard her ever since, including the Second Battle of Jachin Due."

"That's where the Captain lost his eye, isn't it?" Arthur said.

"Correct." As the lift doors sighed open, he added, "Fortunately they were able to patch him up as well as the ship. It's thanks to them that we're here now."

Leading them down the short corridor that allowed access to the officer's offices and quarters, Josh stopped at the last door on the left-hand side and pressed the buzzer beside the cold, gray door. "Yes?"

"It's Manchisco, sir. The officers from the _Minerva_ have arrived, General."

"Bring them in." The door opened slowly. Josh stepped through first and then turned sideways to stand at attention, allowing Talia, Arthur, and Roland access to the office. Mwu was sitting behind brown, cedar wood desk, his officer's cap laid on the hard-wood top, his form leaning back casually in his chair. Jackson stood beside him at full height, black eye patch covering his right eye, with his hands clasped behind his back. Arthur initially stopped in his tracks when he saw Jackson, the man's imposing size catching him off guard, but a quick, soft elbow to the side courtesy of Roland was enough to snap him out of this gaze and bring him back to his senses. Both men stood on opposite sides of Talia as Mwu welcomed them. "Welcome aboard. I don't think we've had the pleasure of introductions in the short time we've spoken. I'm General Martin Vernes of the Orb 1st Space Fleet. This is Captain Robert Jackson, commander of the _Kusanagi_. I believe you've already had the chance to meet Lieutenant Manchisco, the first-mate."

"I'm Captain Talia Gladys of the _Minerva_, ZAFT Defense Force 2nd Division. It's an honor sir." She saluted as she spoke.

"Lieutenant Arthur Trine, the same."

"Lieutenant Roland Brunswick, also the same." Both Mwu and Jackson returned the salutes. Mwu then dismissed Josh who offered a salute before disappearing into the corridor they had just come from.

"I wanted to be the first to personally thank you for your efforts at crushing Junius Seven," Mwu began. "That was a very courageous act and it more than likely saved many lives on Earth as a result."

Talia removed her cap and placed his professionally under her right arm. Arthur and Roland mimicked her actions. "Our actions were only a result of the situation. Anyone in our position would have done the same, sir."

"Still, every single person on the Earth owes you a great deal, ourselves included more than likely. Orb also owes you greatly for protecting our Princess during these times. I don't believe we can ever repay you for what you've done for us."

"No repayment is necessary," Talia repeated.

Mwu sighed. He folded his hands and leaned forward onto his desk. "Have you been able to identify those mysterious GINNs who were at Junius Seven?"

"As of this moment, no. It appears as though every single one of them was destroyed along with Junius Seven during the demolition. And although we have no hard evidence, it seems very likely that they were the cause for it's descent in the first place."

"That's what we were afraid of," Mwu admitted. He frowned. "It's the worst possible scenario. I think we should consider ourselves fortunate that only our two ships and the Joule Team know about that."

"However, there is still the matter of the unidentified vessel we encountered there and in the debris belt, sir," Jackson reminded him.

"We haven't determined who that ship and mobile suits were working for. Until we do…we'll have to be very careful."

"If any more information comes out and it was leaked to the public, things could get very ugly quite quickly," Talia said.

Mwu nodded. "That's why I'm suggesting that we keep our options open for the time being. Because this situation is endlessly complicated, it may not be safe for either of us to report anything but the obvious regarding this incident. Do you agree."

"Yes. It would help keep the civilian populations from jumping to conclusions," Talia answered.

"Not to mention it would allow people to concentrate on what really matters now and that's the clean-up effort," Roland put in.

"Exactly." Mwu leaned back into his chair and placed his arms behind his head. "It's times like these that make me wonder why I ever came back to doing this."

"Uh, sir…"

"Hmm?"

"Well…not to be rude sir, but…y-you've told us that your name is General Vernes. But…when you spoke to the Chairman yesterday…he identified you as someone else…" Both Roland and Arthur eyed Talia carefully, as if to warn her to be careful of what she said. "Um…is that true…?"

There was an awkward silence that accompanied the question. Mwu simply stared forward at Talia and said nothing. Talia also remained composed and did not move from her spot. Finally, after several moments, Mwu breathed out a long sigh. He turned to Jackson. "Bob, could you please leave us alone for several minutes?"

"Yes, sir." Jackson made his way out of the small office and Arthur couldn't help but glance at him as he passed. At full height, Arthur only reached just above Jackson's elbow.

"Don't worry, you're not the only one who's stared at him." Arthur jumped. Mwu was smiling at him. "When I first met him, he had to actually _tell_ me I was staring."

Mwu pushed himself up out of his chair and slowly walked over towards the room's small view port, located at the rear of the chamber. He folded his hands behind his back and looked out towards the sea. There were clouds stretching all the way to the horizon and the dark waves below them were beginning to churn with an increasing fervor. Neither Talia, Arthur, nor Roland said anything until Mwu himself broke the silence. "You're Chairman's assessment was indeed correct. I am not General Martin Vernes." Although his mind was warning him to be cautious, Mwu felt that he could trust these people, even though he had only met them officially a few minutes before. "My real name is Mwu la Flaga. I was once known as the Hawk of Endymion and served in the Earth Forces during the Bloody Valentine War. I fought at the Second Battle of Jachin Due and now am in charge of the Orb Union Space Fleet." He paused. "That's basically the entire story of my military career."

Talia tried her luck again. "Is it also true that the Atlantic Federation wants you dead?"

"Yes. They believe I betrayed them following the bombing of the Cuban Industrial Complexes in July of '71. I along with many others am now wanted by them for high treason." Mwu blinked. "I served with Representative Athha during the war and as a result, I was offered asylum within Orb and given an alias to protect myself. I thought I would finally be able to get away from all this violence. However…there was a catch to the Representative's offer."

"They wanted you to head their fleet," Roland filled in the blank.

Mwu nodded. "The Orb government was taking a very large risk by giving myself and the others asylum within their country. Given the damage the nation suffered during the war, they weren't about to let someone as highly pursued as myself into the nation without getting something in return. As a result…even though I desperately didn't want to…I took up a commission within the military and was put in command of the Fleet. I thought…since we were at peace once again…that it would be a simple task and I would be able to retire soon enough. But now…I'm not sure what will happen…"

"So that's why you were unnerved when the Chairman recognized you," Talia said.

"Yes. If the Atlantic Federation finds out who I am, I will be hunted down and executed. They've said they won't stop looking for me…"

"But that still leaves a question unanswered," Roland uttered. "If you did not want to return to the military as you said you didn't…and the only way Orb would give you asylum was if you did…then why not go somewhere else. I'm sure there would be other nations willing to give you residence for nothing…"

Mwu turned his head about half-way around and glanced at the three of them. He closed his eyes and made his way back over to his desk. He reached down and fingered the picture frame sitting on his desk and slowly turned it around. The three _Minerva_ officers were moved by what they saw. Inside the picture frame was the image of a beautiful woman, with brown hair curled at the tips, light brown eyes that looked as soft as pillows, and a smile that seemed to stretch on forever. In the woman's arms was a small infant. Although its expression was one of sadness, the baby's deep blue eyes could cause any person's conscience to soften.

"For my family's sake…this was the only thing I could do," Mwu said quietly. He placed the frame back down on the wooden desk top and turned back toward the window. "Times have changed in the past two years. I have a family and other responsibilities to think about. You'll find as time goes on…family will affect every decision you make. Keeping them safe and happy will cause you to do things you never thought you'd do…or want to do for that matter." He pushed his hands into his pockets and shook his head. "But that's just about me." He turned back to face them. "The real reason I wanted to ask you three here, is to offer you repairs and supplies at Orb." As he spoke, Talia, Arthur, and Roland glanced at each other carefully. "It's the only way we can think of to thank you at the present time. We're willing to offer you a place in one of our port's until your ship has been repaired and can continue on to wherever it is you need to go. It's your decision, but if you decide not to…it won't make a difference to us."

Talia bit her lower lip and thought for a moment. Although it was sudden and a bit unethical, the _Minerva_ was going to need repairs quite soon. "We appreciate the gesture." She saluted. "We'll look forward to seeing you again in Orb, General." Mwu saluted back and smiled. "I think it's time we returned to our ship."

"I'll have someone escort you back to the transport dock." As she and the others filed out of his office, Mwu called out to Talia once again. "Thank you," was what he said. Talia smiled and saluted him before stepping through the doorway.

"Are you sure you want to take the _Minerva_ to Orb, Talia?" The trio was inside the lift once again, descending towards the bottom of the ship and their transport craft. Arthur added, "The ship wasn't damaged all that badly and we could easily reach Carpentaria in a matter of weeks."

Talia glanced at him. "Are you afraid that Orb might not like the General's offer, Arthur?"

"No, not at all," Arthur answered quickly. "I'm merely offering an alternative suggestion in case you have second thoughts."

"Why would continuing on to Carpentaria be any better, though?" Roland asked him. "Orb's much closer, they're technologies have been proven to be more than effective, and I don't see any sign that they'll go against the General's word."

"It doesn't seem likely that they'll have much of a choice now that we've been officially invited by their top military commander, yes," Arthur admitted.

"But the key thing to remember at this time," Talia said, "is that nothing has even started yet. There's been no declaration of hostilities by any nation towards another."

"On the contrary, it looks as if they're only worried about helping each other out from what I've seen," Roland added.

The lift reached its destination and the doors began to slide open. "If anyone questions it, we'll say it was a sign of good faith and that we couldn't refuse it," Talia said firmly. Both Arthur and Roland voiced their agreement as they ventured down the corridor towards the hangar.

Under the constant throbbing of noise inside the facility, Roland poked Arthur in the shoulder and asked him in a raised voice, "Would you have done the same thing?"

"What?'

"Taken up a job you absolutely hated if it meant keeping your family safe and happy?"

"Are you kidding?" Arthur seemed startled that Roland would even ask him that. "Nothing matter's more to me than keeping Eileen safe, much less myself. Of course I'd do it!"

"That's what I thought," Roland said with a grin. Glancing back towards Talia, he added, "Do I even have to ask what you'd do?" Talia closed her eyes and smiled shyly. She shook her head and mouthed a silent 'no'. "I didn't think so."

They settled into the transport craft's rear seats and within moments were on their way back to the _Minerva_ by way of the choppy Pacific. Along the way, Talia sat on the extreme starboard side of the craft and leaned against the boat's side panel, her head being supported by her hand and forearm, lost deep within the confines of her mind. Even though she should be thinking about other things, she couldn't help but think of Gordon. Thanks especially to the General's heartwarming story she now missed him more than ever. She longed to hold him in her arms again, just to hear him call out 'Mommy', or something similar. _God, I miss him…_ she thought sadly, barely being able to keep the tears out of her eyes, or it may have been the salt spray from the water. Reminding herself to visit him the next time she was home, Talia spent the rest of the trek back to the _Minerva_ in silence.

_**-Girty Lue, Earth Orbit, 1400.**_

Lee arrived at Neo's office after making sure the _Girty Lue's_ bridge crew had been properly briefed on their next objective. The ship was now returning to the Azrachel Lunar Base for repairs and resupplying, and to give some of their counterparts a chance to analyze the data on their newly acquired mobile suits.

Lee knocked twice on the door and said, "It's Lee, Colonel."

"Come in." He stepped through the opening door and into Neo's office, which was located within the ship's bow, a large view port to the right of the Colonel's desk. Neo was sitting at his desk, one hand curled into a fist under his chin, his head tilted slightly to the right. "Are we away?"

"Yes, sir. We'll reach the Lunar Base sometime tomorrow barring further deterrence," Lee reported.

"Good."

Lee noticed that there were several photographs arranged on Neo's desk in no particular order, but they seemed to have his interest piqued. "Is something wrong, sir?"

Neo glanced at Lee quickly and then brought his eyes back down towards his desk. He reached for one of the photographs and passed it to the _Girty Lue's_ Captain. "Tell me what you think of this Lee?"

Taking hold of the photograph, Lee brought it in front of his eyes and they immediately widened. "What is this?"

"One of the photos Sting took during the fight at Junius Seven yesterday," Neo said darkly.

The photograph contained the image of a pair of high powered flair motors attached to Junius Seven's underside, white energy flames spitting from their exhaust systems. "These are flair motors," Lee observed.

"Exactly."

"But then…that means-"

"Junius Seven didn't fall by accident," Neo finished. He pointed to another photograph. "Look at this. This GINN HM type here…it's shooting at the GuAIZ R's that were launched from the _Nazca's_ we encountered."

Lee gulped. "You realize that this could implicate the PLANTs as directly responsible for the drop, correct?"

"Yes, of course. But right now, let's not jump to conclusions." Neo stood up and picked up a photograph of an Orb M1 Astray fighting with another of the GINN HM's. "This entire situation is very complicated. We'll have to be careful how we proceed from here."

"Are you going to report this to Djibril?"

Neo snorted. "I don't have much of choice now do I? After all, he's the reason why we went to Aprilius One in the first place." As he turned to leave, he said, "It probably would be better if Auel and Stella were to forget this entire thing happened. Tell McCluskey to set their memories back to the night of the 2nd."

"What about Sting?"

"He'll be fine. Just give him the normal treatment and leave his memories as is." Neo started for the door. When he exited his office, he looked down on the image of the Astray and the GINN. _What were you doing there? Were you just trying to stop it? _Heading to the ship's bridge, he added, _what's going through your mind right now? What are you going to do…Mwu?_

_**-Minerva, Pacific Ocean, 1700.**_

_Bing. Bing. Bing. _

_Crap,_ Lunamaria scolded herself. She took a deep breath to calm herself and then reoriented herself. She eyed the body-shaped target board approximately ten feet in front of her, lined up the barrel of her 9 mm pistol with the red areas marked on the board's head and chest areas.

"We're heading for Orb?"

Cagalli had returned from a conference with Talia moments before and had met up with Athrun on the _Minerva's_ C deck near the ship's rear deck. She nodded. "The _Minerva_ officers went to meet with Mwu on the _Kusanagi_ this morning and he offered them assistance."

Athrun paused. "Was he in a position to do that?"

"I was going to offer it to them anyway," Cagalli brushed it off. "It's the least we could do."

"You're right." They were approaching a door leading to the ship's rear deck area. "Plus it's not like Mwu to refuse to help someone. It's just not in his personality."

BANG! _Bing._ Both Athrun and Cagalli paused before the open doorway. BANG! _Bing_. "What was that?" Cagalli wondered out loud. Athrun leaned his head out the doorway and peered out into the cloudy afternoon. BANG! _Bing_.

"Dammit!" Lunamaria swore out loud this time. Even with headphones on, both Rey and Meyrin who were beside her could hear Lunamaria's disgusted outcry. She hadn't made a single shot in the red area all during their time at the target range; now she was getting frustrated.

"Calm down Lunamaria," Rey warned her. "We're using live weapons remember?"

"_I know that_, Rey," Lunamaria hissed, ripping her headphones off her ears. "I'm angry at myself more than anything else." Ejecting her gun's now empty cartridge, she readied another one while Rey continued to fire off his round, almost every shot hitting square in the middle of the chest and head areas.

After placing her headphones back onto her ears, Lunamaria was about to fire off another round when she heard something shuffle behind her. Turning around, she smiled when she saw Athrun leaning casually against the outer bulkhead of the _Minerva's_ hull; Cagalli was on the opposite side of the doorway, arms folded across her chest in a pose of concentration.

"Oh, it's you two," Lunamaria acknowledge them as removed her headphones once again.

"Mandatory training?" Athrun inquired with a small smile.

"Yes. If we're going to anyway, they said it would probably be more refreshing outside. A lot of us have never been to Earth as it is." Rey finished with his round and proceeded to reload. Lunamaria turned back towards the range, but added, "But I'm not doing too well."

"You never do well," Meyrin joked.

"_Meyrin_." Rey began to fire off his next round, the first two shots mirroring his last round, straight into the head and torso of the new target board.

Lunamaria shrugged and was about to try again, when she turned back towards Athrun and Cagalli. "Won't you join us, Athrun?"

Athrun was surprised. "No, I'll pass."

Lunamaria laughed. She removed her protective goggles. "You may not want to acknowledge it, but the truth is, we all know quite a bit about you." Athrun listened wide-eyed as she recited practically his entire military career. "Formerly a ZAFT Red, with the le Creuset Team. In the middle stages of the war, you defeated the Strike, said to be the strongest mobile suit created. After that, you were assigned to the FAITH Special Forces team, a team that reports directly to the National Defense Committee. Then you became the pilot of the ZGMF-X09A Justice. You're Athrun Zala." Rey, who had paused his round to listen to Lunamaria, now began shooting again, his shots echoing in the background as Lunamaria continued. "I don't know too much about your father, but you're quite a hero among us, especially what you did at the battle of Jachin Due."

"Ah…well…"

"And I hear you're quite skilled with a gun as well." She approached him and extended the pistol in his direction. Athrun hesitated. "Can you show us a bit? The truth is, I'm not too good at this." Athrun once again was hesitant.

"I'll try." Both Athrun and Lunamaria looked at Cagalli, who had come beside them. "I've never tried out a ZAFT targeting range before. I'd like to see what I can do against it."

Lunamaria smiled. "Alright, if you want." She handed Cagalli the pistol and then passed her a set of goggles and a set of headphones.

"Cagalli…" Athrun stammered.

"It's alright, don't worry about it," she reassured him. "It's nothing more than a recreational exercise."

"By the way you sounded, it's almost as if you're afraid she'll do better than you will," Meyrin chirped from up ahead. Athrun froze. Both Cagalli and Lunamaria snickered quietly.

Athrun smirked. "All right little-Miss Princess, let's go." Lunamaria retrieved another pistol and stood aside as Athrun and Cagalli moved up to the range. Meyrin re-set the system and they both waited in perfect form, with their pistols pointed directly at the target, arms and hands motionless, for the exercise to begin. Lunamaria watched with her hands folded and then heard someone else enter the range. Shinn, who had been on his way to practice as well, now stopped beside Lunamaria and watched as the exercise for both Athrun and Cagalli began.

BANG! _Ding._ BANG! _Ding_. BANG! _Ding._ Every split second, a new target board would appear as every shot was fired. Both Athrun and Cagalli seemed to fire in unison as the exercise went on, neither losing concentration for even an instant. Shots rang out in precision, with every target board registering a hit, many in the dark red chest and head areas. As the last shots rang out, the final scores were registered on the small consoles next to each person. The final scores were tallied: Athrun 15, Cagalli 13.

"Whoa…" Lunamaria gaped.

"Nice," Athrun complimented Cagalli.

"I let my hand drift on the last two and the barrel moved," Cagalli admitted. "Not my best, but I'll take it. Then again, I was going up against _you_." Athrun chuckled in response.

"Wow! You're both using the same gun as me, but what a difference!" Lunamaria rushed up beside them. Rey, who had been watching as well, simply called up another target and began to fire again.

Athrun turned to Lunamaria and extended the pistol back towards her. "It's not the gun. You have a habit of twisting your wrist as you pull the trigger. That's why you're spacing is inconsistent. If you correct that, you'll be just as good."

"Yeah, right," Lunamaria responded sarcastically.

Cagalli removed her goggles and headphones and set them down on the console. "How'd you get so good at that?" Meyrin asked her. "I mean, you're a _Princess_."

Chuckling, Cagalli answered, "I spent a lot of time in the desert during the last war. Believe me, when you have downtime out there, there is absolutely _nothing_ to do. I had to find something to keep from going insane…"

Cagalli's voice trailed off as she saw him approaching; the black-haired, red-eyed pilot that had called out to her before the battle two days before. Shinn cast a cloudy glance in her direction and then immediately turned back towards the range. Athrun also eyed him suspiciously, but when Shinn did nothing, he dropped it.

Taking up position on Rey's right, Shinn began to ready himself. "Did they manage to get the Impulse fixed?" Rey inquired.

"Yeah. It got charred pretty badly though," Shinn said.

"Well you did descend into the atmosphere unprotected," Rey pointed out. "That usually is going to leave some charring."

"Yeah, yeah." Shinn took aim and prepared to shoot. "Any idea where we're headed?"

"Orb." Shinn paused. His lips thinned into a pencil thin line. However, besides that, he remained the same and after a short delay, brought his pistol up and began his round.

Athrun handed Lunamaria back her pistol and walked toward Cagalli. "Nice job," he whispered.

They moved back to let the others continue their practice. "Thanks." They remained that way for several minutes, watching the others shoot. "Athrun…I've been meaning to ask you…why did you go out there…?" Athrun frowned.

"Yeah, I've been wondering the same thing," Lunamaria chimed in from ahead of them. "You didn't have to do it…so why'd you put your butt on the line out there. It's not like it was your job or anything."

"Actually it was," Athrun answered. "Since I live on Earth now, I owe this place a duty to protect it, and the people that call this planet home. If I could make a difference, and yet I chose not to, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself. Call it impulsive if you want, but I felt I had to do what I could to stop that thing from falling. That was my reason for fighting."

"Athrun…"

"And I'm also sorry if I worried you," he said to Cagalli.

"Don't feel bad, she wanted to go out too," Meyrin piped up. Athrun glanced at her and then back at Cagalli.

After a pause, Cagalli smiled up at him and shrugged. "I get it. You're just as stupid as I am," Athrun said with a grin. "But I am sorry if I worried you."

"It's okay. I have no problem with that. I know your abilities." Cagalli folded her arms and looked up into the clouds. "In fact, I'm kind of glad you did go out."

Shinn suddenly stopped firing in the middle of his round. "Although what's happened is extremely unfortunate, if it wasn't for the _Minerva_ and Yzak's team, it would've been a lot worse to say the least. I'm sure the people of earth understand that-"

"Stop it, you idiot!" Everyone froze. To herself, Meyrin muttered, _oh no, not again…_

Shinn was now standing in Cagalli's direction, his eyes boiling in anger, his teeth grinding, his fists clenched at his sides, one gripping the butt of his pistol so tightly that it was shaking. "Put the gun down Shinn…" Shinn glanced through narrowed eyes at Rey, who was still facing the targeting range. "Put the gun down…_put the gun down, Shinn_." Snorting, Shinn reached behind him and slammed his pistol onto the console with authority.

"You were on the bridge! So I'm sure you know what really took place here!"

"Shinn!" Athrun warned.

"The fall of Junius Seven wasn't some natural phenomenon!" He yelled, "There were people behind this! The ones who did it were Coordinators!" Cagalli gulped. "They were men whose families were killed there and who still hold a grudge about the incident! They dropped that thing, saying 'Natural's should perish!' just like Patrick Zala did!"

Everyone was silent. Cagalli looked to Athrun. He was staring down at the deck, his expression emotionless. "I-I know that!" Cagalli tried to find the right words. "I know about that…but still…"

"But what?!"

"You guys did everything you could to try to stop it!"

"Of course we did!" Shinn shouted even louder. "But fragments of it still fell on Earth. We couldn't stop it completely. Even though it was done by only a handful of people, it doesn't change the fact that it was done by us Coordinators. Do you honestly think…that people will forgive us with that in mind?!"

"That's enough!" Athrun said quietly, but forcefully. "That's enough, Shinn." He looked his direction. "You may hate Orb…but that's no reason to think that everyone will hate Coordinators because of this." Shinn narrowed his eyes. "Before you start shooting…you have to identify who your enemies are."

"What?" Athrun had already turned his back and was walking towards the doorway.

"Remember that if you go into battle again." Without another word, he disappeared behind the _Minerva's_ hull. Cagalli watched him go, her stomach twisting inside of her.

Several minutes passed before things started to fall back into normal pace. Shinn turned back towards the range and picked up his pistol. He quickly aimed it at the targets. "I'm sorry." Shinn didn't look at Cagalli, even when she was speaking to him. "I'm sorry about your family…"

"Does it look like I care what you think?" He fired several shots at the range, virtually ignoring Cagalli's attempt to apologize. Cagalli shut her eyes and turned back towards the doorway. She had no reason to remain here any longer. "I feel sorry for him!" She glanced over her shoulder at Shinn, who had ceased firing. "He has to put up with everything you do and now this!" Cagalli stood still, her body not receiving any commands to move from her position. Eventually she managed to get her feet to move forward and, with her head down, she proceeded back into the ship. As she walked, a small wet droplet fell from her eye and landed at her feet.

_**-Unknown Island, Pacific Ocean, 1830.**_

There was nothing left. The clear, sandy beach that had been protecting the island's shoreline just a day before, was now in a pathetic state with tree branches, leaves, and other materials strewn all across its path. The lone house that had been situated on the island was gone, reduced to wood splinters, dirt, and exposed nails. The huge tidal wave that had swept across the island had completely washed the house away. There was hardly anything that had survived, and the things that had were merely shadows of their former selves.

Lacus heard one of the orphans with her start to sob. The girl had found one of her dollies half-submerged in the wet sand, its left arm and both legs ripped away. As the toddler cradled her lost toy in her arms, Lacus wrapped her own arm around the girl and held her close to her, allowing her to let all her emotions out.

She saw Caridad Yamato returning from her hike up the beach. "Well…?" Lacus asked tepidly.

The blue-haired woman shook her head sadly. "There's nothing left. I've been up and down this beach and I've seen _nothing_ that survived."

"Is that so?"

Reverend Malchio was guiding another group of orphans around the wreckage, being mindful to keep them away from dangerous objects. Despite his inability to see, his senses of sound and touch were able to cover for his eyes. Lacus had her group of kids go with Caridad while she and HARO, and its constant shouting, headed towards the beach's edge.

Kira was standing with his bare feet wading in the warm ocean water. The breeze had picked up in the past few minutes and was now blowing traces of salt into his eyes, causing them to sting and water. Dark clouds were now appearing on the horizon and based on the wind's current direction, it wouldn't be long before they were right over them. Kira's gaze however, seemed to be staring at nothing. His violet eyes were merely trained on the horizon, as if he were trying to find an answer to something that could not be answered.

"It looks like a storm is coming." Kira turned his head ever so slightly towards Lacus, who had come to stand to his left.

He turned back towards the ocean. "Yes." Kira blinked. "How's the salvage going?"

Lacus frowned. "Not very promising. There are a few belongings that survived, but…" Kira's eyes narrowed. "What are you going to do, Kira?"

"Do we still have communications?" Lacus nodded. "I'll make a call. I'll find someone to take us in for the time being." With his gaze still fixed on the distance, Kira did not even move when Lacus carefully laid her beautiful pink-haired head on his shoulder and sighed.

_**-Aprilius One, 2200.**_

In the early nighttime darkness, Kenneth Roske's subtle, but convective voice was like a cat purring quietly before sleep. "Rome. Shanghai. The Gobi Desert. Quebec. Northern and Eastern Europe. Philadelphia and the North Atlantic. North Africa. The American Rocky Mountains." Gilbert listened silently as Roske read the report that had been delivered moments before by the National Defense Committee. His golden eyes maintained their focus on the starry sky above Aprilius One while his hands remained clasped behind his back. Roske was seated on one of the office's comfortable recliners with the report in his hands. There was another person inside the office, but she remained quiet as well as Roske continued reading. "Damage also incurred in the Andes Mountains, the Middle-Atlantic States, the Caribbean, and the Oceanic and Indonesian Islands. At this time…there is no indication of how many casualties may have been incurred. It is likely that the devastation will take many years to fix…and possibly even longer."

Gilbert sighed audibly. "Thank you Ken. It's exactly what I feared." Roske set down the report on the marble topped coffee table in front of him and filled himself a drink. "There's no way of telling how high the number of casualties could climb. It's an extremely painful tragedy." He added darkly, "But the real problems are what we must deal with from this point on."

"You're referring to the response from the Earth nations following the tragedy, correct?" Roske asked absent-mindedly as he sipped his drink.

"Yes." Gilbert unclasped his hands and spread his fingers out in front of him. "This tragedy could have drastic ramifications for everyone, including ourselves."

"Based on what you've showed me you've already taken necessary precautionary measures to deal with that response," Roske responded, glancing in the third person's direction. "I have no doubt that the Council will agree with your decision on this matter."

"Is that a guarantee?" Gilbert asked.

Roske smiled. "There are no guarantees in the modern world, Gilbert. You yourself taught me that long ago."

"Please don't remind me," Gilbert said briskly. "I'll need your help significantly in the coming days, Ken. You and your Intelligence operatives."

"That's why you invited me here, then?"

"Intelligence is one of the most important aspects in a nation. Without it, everything a nation attempts is destined to fail."

Roske sipped his drink. "I understand."

"You'll make sure my orders are carried out then?" Gilbert asked. "They're absolutely essential in order for our goals to be accomplished."

"I'll take care of it, don't worry." Pushing aside the report he had set down, Roske gingerly picked up the document that had been lying underneath it. _So…the pink-haired princess must be dealt with_. "She _will not_ be of any interference whatsoever."

A shooting star zoomed past overhead, lighting up the night sky for a split-second before disappearing into the far reaches of space. Gilbert watched it go and then nodded solemnly. "I appreciate that."

**END PHASE-07.**


	9. Phase 08 Unknown Ventures

**PHASE-08 Unknown Ventures**

_**-Danzig, Poland, Eurasian Federation, October 5, C.E.73, 1400.**_

The normally bustling port metropolis on the Baltic Sea was unusually quiet on this day. This once gleaming city was now a shadow of its former self after one of the fragment of Junius Seven that crashed into the Baltic had sent a great number of tidal waves swarming over the city, leaving it slightly less than flattened. As the residents slowly began to emerge from their shelters, the destruction left many of them speechless, others angry, and still others distraught.

That had been the scene the day before. This day was much the same, with the exception being the relief efforts that had been implemented during the previous night. Ships and transport aircraft steamed from other cities and ports to ferry aid to the people. There were Eurasian soldiers on these transports as well, but their mission was merely to ensure that the relief supplies were delivered to the correct locations and that order in the damaged city was maintained. With these measures in place, the people of Danzig began the slow process of clean-up the following morning.

Now in the mid-afternoon hours, overcast skies hung over the city, casting a dark glance across the landscape. All across the metropolitan area, people wandered from street to street, looking for the spots where their homes or businesses had once stood. Many returned to find only rubble piles left of their homes; the lucky ones' homes were still standing, but they still had to contend with damage. There were tears flowing in all corners of the city, people still in disbelief at the destruction.

These images were among the ones Miriallia Haw captured through the viewing lens of her camera as she walked the streets of the destroyed city. The former _Archangel_ CIC crewmember turned freelance photographer was here to assess the damage and to bring evidence of the destruction to the rest of the world. Among the photos she took were of a mother and children looking over the remains of what must have been their home, a young child with tears in his eyes crying out to anyone nearby, and of several Eurasian soldiers consoling a group of people, their crisp white uniforms contrasting sharply with the dark-colored clothing of the city's population.

Miriallia pulled her jacket closer to her and turned down another street. Walking slowly, she stepped carefully over the debris strewn across the asphalt, making her way over wood splinters, steel beams, car parts, and smaller items such as the remains of clothes and photographs. Squatting down onto her haunches, Miriallia cradled a small photograph of a mother and her two children. Their home must have been on this street, but as Miriallia looked around, it was obvious to see that it had been completely obliterated along with every other house on this avenue. Miriallia wondered about the families that had lived here before the drop and the thought tugged at her heart with a vengeance. She held the photograph close to her, as if she were trying to comfort the people in the photo, and then placed it carefully into a pocket of her carrying bag which was slung over her shoulder. _How could this have happened again?_ Miriallia asked herself that as she proceeded further down the debris clogged street. _The conflict is supposed to have ended…we're supposed to be at peace…and yet this happens again. _

Turning a corner, she heard a commotion up ahead. Carefully making her way along a downhill boulevard, Miriallia came to a dead end where a group of about twenty people were huddled around a trash can with fire spewing from its open top, trying to keep warm. There were men, women, children, and even a few animals such as dogs and cats, encircling this primitive form of heating, each with a glum expression on their faces.

Miriallia brought her camera up to her eye and looked through the lens. She reminded herself to turn the flash off so she wouldn't disturb the people and took a photograph. She heard someone coming and she concealed herself as best she could behind what was left of a building wall up the street.

A young man, he couldn't have been more than eighteen, wearing an old brown jacket and worn out gray trousers, came panting up to the circle, which quickly moved to accommodate him. He spoke in a language that Miriallia identified as Polish, but she couldn't understand more than the basic phrases in that language. She simply listened to the people's voices to give her all the information she would need about the conversation.

"_What is happening at the port?_" an older man with a blond mustache asked the younger arrival.

"_The ships…have arrived,_" the boy said in an exhausted tone. "_They've begun to offload their supplies and there are military aircraft landing at the airfield to the south._"

"_Are they here to evacuate us?_"

"_I don't know. But there were soldiers coming off of one of the ships I saw._"

"_Soldiers?_"

He nodded. "_They appear to be here to assist us. I didn't see more than five with weapons on them._"

"_What good will it do us to have soldiers here?_" an old woman with a cracking voice wondered out loud. Her voice was racked with pain as she spoke. "_They won't bring our homes back…they won't bring our loved ones back…_" A quiet murmur swept over the group.

The boy in the brown jacket spoke to the mustached man next to him through closed hands as he leaned in closer to the fire. "_Do they know what caused the PLANT to fall, yet?_"

"_If they have, they haven't announced it._" Darkly, he added, "_But I have a sneaking suspicion that there is more to this than meets the eye_."

"_What do you mean?_"

"_This tragedy seems all too familiar to events that I witnessed on the front during the war. The military leaders would give us explanations that made sense…but then later on we found out we were merely being deceived so we would not be unabated when we fought. They lied to us many times. I have a feeling that they will lie to us again._"

"_The government has been suggesting that it was a natural phenomenon._"

"_Hah!_" A gray-haired man near the center of the circle had his arms folded across his chest and an angry frown on his face. "_Natural phenomenon my Polish ass! There's no way in hell that this was something that nature caused. _"

"_Well, what do you think happened then?_" the young man asked.

"_It's obvious to me what happened. The scientists have said that the only way for something that large to move out of its orbit would be for something artificial to happen to it. Someone would've had to have assisted Junius Seven in its fall. And there are only one people that could have done it…!_"

"_The Coordinators,_" another person said quietly.

"_Yes. The attack was directed at Earth and everyone on it. Those Coordinators who live in space are the obvious perpetrators. They have not let go of their hatred of us after Bloody Valentine and this was there revenge._"

"_Yes._"

"_And where is Bradford in all of this. He tells us after the war that nothing will happen like this again. He implements tyrannical laws to stop hatred and terrorist viewpoints, murders many of our fellow countrymen, and yet it does not stop anything. And while we're suffering here…he hides away in his mansion in Moscow. What kind of leader is that?!_" Another murmur swept through the group, this one of seeming agreement.

"_So, you say you have all the answers,_" another voice interjected. This one was much lighter than the others and it came from the mouth of another young man, this one with dark hair, a flat cap on his head, khaki trousers, and a brown leather coat. "_Who then is exactly responsible for this?_"

The old man responded roughly. "_It's obvious that the Coordinators did this to us. They are the only ones that would have the mind-set to drop a colony on the Earth. They've always seen we Naturals as nothing but dogs._" Many in the crowd began to nod in concurrence. "_We must strike back. We must get them again before they get us again!_"

"_You mean you want to attack the PLANTs?_" the young man asked stiffly.

Up the road, Miriallia suddenly looked up from her lens. _That voice…_ She refocused her lens on the man's face and was shocked by what she saw. She knew that man!

Across from him, the older man appeared to hesitate. "_Eh…e…yes…!_"

"_You hesitate. Why?_" He moved to the center of the circle and turned around to face everyone. "_Maybe you are not as sure as you say you are. Then again…maybe you are correct. The Coordinators may have been responsible for this. But…does that mean, that everyone single Coordinator was involved in this attack?_" He looked directly into the eyes of a small boy. "_Including children? If we do that…we are no better than the leaders of the PLANTs who blamed all Naturals for the Bloody Valentine tragedy, even though it was only a select few people with radical beliefs that perpetrated it!_"

"_What do we do then?_"

Glancing around the circle again, the young man sighed. "_I'm surprised you don't know. This happened to our people once before. It's written all over our history. After the Nazis invaded our homelands…enslaved us…murdered us. When the war and our ancestors were freed from their enslavement…what did they do? Did they blame every last German for their sufferings? Did they cry out, 'destroy German, we must have revenge!'? No! You see…our ancestors were intelligent and had foresight. They saw that not every German was like Hitler and his butchers. There were those who were opposed to his beliefs and philosophies…those who wanted nothing to do, and had nothing to do with the slaughter. Our ancestors treated these people with respect. They saw…that they were courageous enough to stand up to the madmen…not give in to the temptation to join the massacres…and to even help some of escape during the war. They did not wish devastation upon them…they did not attack them out of a thirst of revenge. They did this because they did not want the course of senseless violence to continue._"

He spread his arms. "_That is what we must now, my friends. We must find that intelligence and foresight that our ancestors discovered. We cannot hate all the Coordinators and cry out for vengeance. That will only incur more violence upon those who survived this attack. It will turn into a never-ending cycle that we will never be able to escape._"

"_Yes._" The mustachioed man spoke. "_I've seen battlefields my friends. Violence does not end once each side has an opportunity to gain revenge._"

"_We must smother our hatred and concentrate instead on rebuilding our lives. If we do that…even the Coordinators who were not involved will gladly help us in our plight._"

Around the circle, people began to converse again, and this time the topic was not of vengeance, but of what they had to do next. There was also a sentiment going around that none of them wanted to see any more violence than had already been incurred.

"_Yes._" All eyes turned to the old man, who's expression was now of sadness. "_You are correct. No one wants to see violence again. I…I lost my two sons during the last war. I have only one left. I do not want to lose him as well._ _Nor anyone else for that matter_."

The crowd watched as the young man who had once been the older one's verbal opponent walked slowly up to him and put his arms around him. "_I promise your son will remain with you,_" he whispered. Many others in the crowd also went to comfort the man. The topic of conversation was now focused on how they should begin to rebuild Danzig and make sure that none of their sons would be carelessly taken away by violence.

As the crowd continued to speak, the young man slipped silently away. He made his way slowly up the street, toward the crest of the hill. "I see you've improved." He stopped when he heard the voice. It took him several seconds, but slowly a smile crept across his face. He shoved his hands into his pocket and glanced to his right where Miriallia was leaning up against a wall with her arms folded. "You've gotten better at speaking. I like that."

"It happens when you're father is the leader of the nation," Cooper Bradford said almost in a matter-of-fact tone. The former _Archangel_ bomber gunner and Medal of Honor recipient had let his black hair grow out further and it was now down to his neck where it curled upwards like a playground slide. "How are you Miriallia?"

"Alright, I guess. I get through my days." They began to walk up the street together. "What about you?"

Coop sighed. "Virtually the same. Though I've got a lot more responsibilities than I used to. I have to help my father keep the people calm during this time, or else things are going to get very messy."

"That's why you were here then?"

"Yes. Though that encounter down there was just a coincidence," he admitted.

"That was what I figured. By the way, how's your scar?" Coop smiled sheepishly and removed his cap so he could pull back his bangs and reveal the jagged scar across the right-hand side of his forehead. "Ooh…you didn't have it removed?"

"Nah, what would be the point."

Miriallia smiled. "You just want to keep it as a reminder of what you saw right after that."

Coop's cheeks flushed red. "That was _an accident_. I didn't know what those guys were doing, I was just passing by." He was harkening back to the incident on the _Archangel_ where several other crewmen were trying to peep on the women's showers and he ended up getting hit over the head with a frying pan which accounted for the scar. "By the way, how's Dearka?"

Miriallia paused, and then shrugged slightly. "I haven't seen in a few months, but I think he's okay. He sends me a letter every month to see how I'm doing and so on."

"So you two are still together then?"

"I guess so, if that's what you want to call it. Then again with his involvement in the military it's unlikely that we'll get the chance to see each other very often, so…"

Coop nodded. "I get it. It must be hard to maintain something like that when you don't know where the other person is most of the time."

"Yeah."

"But who knows?" Coop was trying to be optimistic. "With the way things may be going, you may be able to see him sooner than you think."

Miriallia frowned. "You know what. If that's the case, I would rather not see him."

Coop knew he had touched a nerve. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "Then let's hope that something like that doesn't end up happening in the first place." Miriallia agreed.

_**-Lord Djibril's Mansion, Madrid, Spain, 2200.**_

The images being relayed by the television monitors in Djibril's underground headquarters had not changed at all during the last day. Each image either portrayed a sea of destruction, a flabbergasted government official, or victims crying over dead bodies or destroyed homes. This was exactly how Djibril wanted it.

He sat with his black cat purring softly in his lap, his eyes concentrating on the small device situated on the chair's arm-rest. Two clear, plastic tubes were connected to two designated slots on the underside of his wrist in close proximity to the major artery located there. A capsule no bigger than his fist was pumping a clear liquid through the tubes and into said slots which would then be distributed throughout his entire body. Twice a day he had to subjugate himself to this and although he felt no pain, the process still caused quite the rage inside of him over the simple fact that he had to go through this treatment in the first place. _Ahh…the result of once being a guinea pig._ Once the capsule was completely drained of the liquid, Djibril carefully unscrewed the tubes from the slots on his wrist. He flexed his wrist several times which would allow the concoction to move more freely through his body. Normally this kind of steroid would be illegal anywhere in the world because of its numerous side-effects, but Djibril's need was taken into account, mainly because the steroid was the one thing keeping his body functioning, he had been given the all clear for its use. Carefully wiping away any residue that had been left on his wrist, Djibril put the device away and turned his attention back to the television monitors in front of him.

He heard an American reporter in an exhausted tone speaking. "The scene you are looking at right now is what is left of downtown Philadelphia." The once majestic city was now almost completely gone, with just a scattered few buildings remaining upright. The highways were littered with overturned cars and trucks and smoke was billowing up into the sky as a result of fires continuing to burn. "We have confirmed, as we suspected, that there are numerous casualties, but an exact amount has yet to be given. It is likely that it will take some time for the total body count to be accumulated. President Copeland has announced that he will be touring the devastated areas along the eastern coast of the United States tomorrow…" Djibril turned down the volume on the image.

He focused on another video; this one of his adversary on the other side. Gilbert was standing behind a podium with Eileen and Roske on either side of him, with flashbulbs visibly going off in front of him. "We at the PLANTs cannot express the great sorrow we feel concerning this calamity of unprecedented proportions. I personally have no words to express how shocked I am to see the scenes of devastation from around the world." He paused. "I'm sure that the resulting scars are deep and there is no end in sight to your sorrow…but please, my friends on Earth…please rise from the despair of this day! We are committed to doing everything we can to help you through this unimaginable hardship." Djibril quickly sent the video away. He then brought his attention to the other Logos members who were conversing over their secret communication lines.

"…Oh boy. A lot of damage has been done after all," Hawkins' voice lamented on the destruction. Although Djibril couldn't see his face, he could tell that Hawkins was also distraught over the devastation.

"They're even saying that the Parthenon and the Great Wall were blown away," another voice commented.

Djibril sighed. "The world won't change just because a few very old structures like them are gone."

"Possibly. So, what happens now, Djibril?" Hawkins inquired.

"Dullindal has taken action quickly. He's already taking steps to help while giving us a bunch of sweet talk."

"Never mind that." Djibril pressed a button on the console nearest to him. "I have something to show you all. I believe you should all be receiving a copy of something right about now. Colonel Roanoke and Phantom Pain have sent us something very interesting." Petting his cat gently, Djibril waited in silence for the reactions that were sure to follow. This new development had made their mission much easier.

The photos that Sting had taken in the Chaos, and the Neo had lamented over in his office on the _Girty Lue_, were now streaming across the monitors in front of Djibril. The first image was one of Junius Seven from afar during its descent. Then came a disturbing image of mobile suits along the PLANT's surface.

"Why, this is…"

"Hey! What in the world?"

Then came the backbreaker. "Flare motors?!"

"Well, well," Hawkins observed. "So that's what happened."

"This unexpected trump car is perfect," Djibril said. "Not one human being in the world will forgive them for what is shown here. And it will allow us to form strong ties with the people like nothing else could."

"However…" Djibril frowned. "There is still the matter of-"

"Would you _please_ quit worrying about that," Djibril said casually, but forcefully. "I have already told you that everything regarding that small issue is under control."

"But how are you going to get him to listen to you?"

"I'm not. I've already spoken to the honorable Mr. Gupta and he assured me that our objectives will proceed as planned."

"Gupta? How did you get _him_ involved in this, Djibril?" Hawkins asked.

Djibril smiled. "Let's just say he has a soft spot for people like us." He began pouring himself a glass of brandy. "This time for sure, we'll send all of those bastards to their deaths!" He raised his glass. "For the preservation of our blue and pure world!"

_**-Minerva, Pacific Ocean, October 6, C.E. 73, 1300.**_

"Hi! Mayu here! I'm sorry. I can't talk right now! I'll call you back later, so please leave your name after the beep!"

Shinn's fingers traced the outline of the pink cell-phone and felt its metallic caress cool his skin as it moved. The _Minerva_ swayed gently as it pushed across the waves, but it was barely enough to make Shinn notice as he lay across the soft mattress in his quarters. Instead, he concentrated on the old photos of Mayu and himself that cycled across the phone's screen, the ones dating back to a time when he'd been much more care-free and innocent. Things had changed a lot during those past two years.

Rey was admitted quietly into the quarters he shared with Shinn and casually flopped back onto his bunk across from Shinn, his blond hair falling into his face and his legs crossing above him. "Tired?" Shinn asked.

Rey grunted. Shinn took it as an affirmative. "Commander Bourdais says we'll make port tomorrow morning. We should be able to repair our equipment at Orb."

"_Great_." Rey looked through the corner of his eye, his blue orbs eying Shinn carefully.

"You don't sound too happy about it. Are you upset that we're going there?"

"No! I really could care less about that." Shinn let out a groan as he stretched his arms over his head and let out a sleepy yawn. "If it can be helped I would much prefer not to talk about that place as much as possible."

Rey nodded. "I understand." Rey knew that Shinn had been under a lot of stress lately and it wouldn't do him any good to get him riled up over the _Minerva's_ trek to Orb. Shinn had to learn to remain calm and not let his emotions get the better of him, like they had during the past few days in confrontations with Representative Athha and Athrun. Rey's success in getting Shinn to take the gun out of his hands before tearing into Cagalli was at least a starting point as far as he was concerned.

"What's going to happen now?" Rey looked back to Shinn. He had put Mayu's cell-phone away and was now fixing his gaze upon the ceiling above them.

"About what?"

"You know what. What's going to happen once the people learn that Junius Seven didn't fall by accident?" Shinn's tone was more annoyed than concerned.

Rey shrugged. "I can't be really sure…none of us can. As you said before, we're not in a favorable position with many people on Earth at this point, so the best we can do is to offer whatever assistance we can and hopefully the people will cool down."

"Based on previous events, I'd say that's pretty unlikely," Shinn said, adding a chuckle at the beginning to add emphasis.

"You may be right…but the only feasible thing we can do right now to try and affect the outcome is to have faith in the Chairman and the other leaders of the PLANTs. The Chairman won't bring the nation into another senseless war just because the nations of Earth get angry about this." Shinn sighed. Only two years had passed since the Earth Forces and ZAFT had nearly annihilated each other and yet unless something drastic happened, it appeared as if they would be riding that same roller coaster of chaos again.

Below the bridge of the ship, Ian stood with his back to the ship's stern, body pointed toward the bow, his collar unbuttoned, and his arms folded across his chest. It wasn't exactly how he had been expecting to spend his afternoon time-off four days before, but he had to admit that it was nice to be able to feel the salty breeze of the Pacific Ocean rushing past him and ruffling his hair as it went, even if the salt spray from the waves did sting his eyes slightly.

"Has there been any indication as to what the nations on Earth are going to do next?" Victoria asked him quietly. She stood to his right, facing the opposite direction he was, her upper half leaning over the railing support, her arms pulled close to her.

Ian frowned. "And you think I would know this _because_…?"

"Because your station is on the _bridge_ and all the ship's information comes _through there_," Victoria answered with a smile. Ian chuckled.

"No, I don't have a clue." He shook his head. "The only people that know that are the leaders of the government's down here."

"At least we know that the PLANTs hopefully won't be making this situation any worse. Father's too intelligent to let that happen and he has good people around him to advise him on the situation. I can't see Representative Canaver or General Amalfi giving him bad information now."

Ian nodded. "It's pretty much like that, but when you think about it, it may not be the PLANTs' decision on what they have to do."

"How so?"

"They weren't the ones who were devastated when Junius Seven fell," Ian pointed out. "The ball's out of their court right now, Victoria."

"Yeah." Victoria's voice seemed to take on a touch of sadness. "I just…don't want things to turn out like they did…"

"No one does." Ian corrected himself. "No one with any sort of common sense does, I mean." His baby sister laughed. However, they both knew that there would be people crying out for revenge once the news was broken that the Junius Seven drop had not been a natural occurrence. Hopefully cooler heads would prevail. That was basically what they were all counting on at this point.

The door that led to the rear deck swung open and quickly was pushed back into its place by the breeze. Athrun stopped when the door slammed shut behind him, cast a careful glance at the troublesome entranceway, and then continued toward the railing at the edge of the deck. "You look spooked," Ian commented.

"Sorry. I'm a little edgy these days," Athrun admitted. "Did you two come out here to take in the sights?"

"Maybe."

"That's nice. You at least get to spend some time together."

"Well there is such a thing as brother-sister bonding, you know," Ian said casually. Victoria laughed. Athrun smiled. Even her laugh sounded beautiful.

"So what brings you out here?" Ian asked.

"Fresh air. I haven't had much of a chance to get outside the past two days." Athrun stretched himself out over the railing. "There were new developments regarding the drop, though."

"What happened?"

"Nothing particular. The Chairman gave another address in which he promised the devastated areas any aid they asked for. He's already deployed a lot of the planet-based troops to the disaster areas as it stands."

"That's not surprising," Ian said.

"You sound as if you knew he would do that." Athrun stood to Ian's left and folded his arms.

Ian removed his glasses and began to wipe them off. "It's the logical thing to do if the PLANTs wanted to make themselves look good. If any nation was in a position to offer aid in a disaster such as this, no matter their relation to the disaster areas, I would think that they would at least offer some sort of assistance. Otherwise they'd look like plain ass-holes."

"Then you know full well that the Chairman will do the right thing and help the people who need it," Athrun continued.

"I guess so. I'd say it was more common sense than previous knowledge."

"Well it could also be because you're his son." Ian frowned. He went about cleaning off his glasses before placing them on his head. When Athrun heard Victoria sigh painfully, he started to get the impression that he had said something he shouldn't."

He pushed his glasses back into place. "No. As far as I'm concerned…" Ian said, clasping his hands behind the small of his back. "…I'm merely the _Minerva's_ weapons control officer, an ordinary soldier. Nothing more, nothing less."

"But that doesn't change anything." Athrun was taking a big risk trying to get Ian to talk, but for some odd reason, he felt he had to. "Whether you like or not, you're still _his son_."

"Not in my best estimates."

Athrun rolled his eyes. "Ian…why do you hate your father?" There was no answer. "There has to be some reason why-."

Ian started to walk towards the door. Athrun called out to him once again and he stopped. Had he gotten through to him, Athrun wondered? "Victoria…" Without even turning, Ian added in a barely audible voice, "I'll talk to you later." He continued towards the doorway, opened it forcefully, Athrun was surprised the door had remained on its hinges, and stepped inside the ship, allowing the breeze outside to blow the door shut behind him.

After several moments of silence, Athrun glanced carefully to his right at Victoria. He expected her to be boring into him with eyes filled with anger over having brought the issue of Gilbert and Ian's relationship up, but to his surprise, there was no anger in her expression. She was continuing to stare out over the _Minerva's_ stern, the breeze picking up her long black hair and moving her fluffy bangs around her forehead and face.

Athrun gulped. "Victoria I…I-I'm sorry…"

To his surprise once again, she smiled. "Don't feel bad about it. He's always been like that. It's not your fault Ian's the most stubborn person in the world when it comes to these sorts of things. He'll take one side and won't give it up no matter how much anyone else argues."

"How long has that been going on…between him and your father?" She glanced at him. "Uh…I don't mean to be offensive…uh…if you don't want to say-"

"Eight years." Her voice was sad. "They used to be really close to one another, even though our father was away for long periods of time. But when our mother died…it strained their relationship. Then they just stopped talking to one another…Ian wouldn't even acknowledge that he was our father…"

"Why?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. He came home one day and locked himself in his room for almost two days. He never bothered to tell me what was the matter. He just said it was something he could never forgive our father for…"

Athrun moved closer to her. "You worry about him a lot don't you?"

She shrugged. "Maybe it's a trait my mother passed on to me…but for some reason I feel as if I have to take care of him…even if he is a stubborn bastard…"

"That's only natural," Athrun told her. "But I sense that that's not the only thing that worries you."

"So you can read minds now, huh?" she asked kindly. He flushed. "I'm also…worried about my father. I don't know why, but…I feel as if he's in a troubled state of mind right now. Like he's worried about something. I keep telling myself that he'll be okay, but for some reason…" She recalled back to when he left the _Minerva_ before it began its descent with Junius Seven. When he had embraced her, the normal caring demeanor that he carried whenever he saw her was diminished. She could tell that he was worried, but didn't ask him why. "Maybe it's the PLANTs and everything that could happen in the next few weeks…but whatever it is…he's really worked-up about it."

"You don't sound too confident yourself," Athrun observed.

Victoria wondered how he was able to sense these things. "I guess I'm just as worried about the current situation as I think he is. I'm wondering what will happen to the PLANTs…and everyone else for that matter."

"Don't worry about it," Athrun reassured her. "You can't let yourself get caught up in all this…you'll only end up making things worse for yourself." She glanced at him. "Your father's a smart man…he'll do what's right for the PLANTs. He won't allow things to get out of hand."

The waves lapping against the _Minerva's _hull were emanating pleasant sounds in their direction as the ship continued on. "You may not realize it now…but you're not alone." Victoria shuffled her feet and turned so that her backside was now facing the ship's stern. She gripped the railing with both hands and crossed her legs. "There are others like you out there…children of government leaders who think that they have more to worry about than anyone else. I should know." Athrun only had to hearken back to when his father was the leader of the PLANTs to know what Victoria was feeling now: unsure of one's self, thinking that you had much more responsibility because your parent was the leader of the nation, having a sense that much more depended on your actions than actually did. "If there's anything I learned from that experience…it's that you can't be overly concerned about what they do. You've spent enough time around your father to know that he's an intelligent man who thinks things over and will make the right decisions when the time comes. When you realize that, you find that all that worrying you did was entirely unnecessary. Instead…what I found is that you have to worry about what you yourself can do to help. I realized that the best thing I could do to help was to pilot a mobile suit. In your case, the best thing you could do would be to continue treating injured personnel and keeping people in fighting shape." Athrun also had to remember that for a good chunk of the latter part of the last war, he and his father were on opposite ends of the spectrum. "Even if you find yourself on the opposite side from the people you care about…the important thing is that you keep doing what you can. If you don't, then you're only dooming yourself to a period of second-guessing and procrastinating."

After a pause, Victoria smiled. "You're probably right. As far back as I can remember my father's always been a reasonable, caring man. I know he won't do anything that would result in chaos and suffering."

"He is indeed a kind man," Athrun complimented her. "He'll make sure that things don't get too unruly."

She nodded. "I know he won't. But…my biggest fear is that things will once again spiral out of control…and we'll end up with even more suffering…even after we promised never to do it again."

Athrun gazed up into the sky. The sun had emerged from behind the clouds for the first time during their voyage across the ocean. It was as if a new day was dawning and that it was the start of something new for all of them. "So do I…" he murmured. "So do I…"

_**-Barkhesh Residence, Orb Union, 2100.**_

The secret communication line was squeezed tightly into a corner of a living room with soft carpeting and hanging lights. The line consisted of a small screen that could be accessed only by a coded password that only several individuals knew, a keypad in case that there was no access to visuals, and a small speaker system that would allow for quiet conversation in case of discovery or an urgent need for secrecy. However, due to the warm weather that the Orb Union usually was subject to for most of the year, mainly because of its positioning near the Earth's equator, there was also a small box fan nestled underneath the screen, which was the only thing keeping the individual seated in front of it from sweating through his clothes.

The line was active now; there was an image of someone on the screen who was accessing the other end of the line. His voice said quietly, "We should make port sometime tomorrow morning and then we'll probably be stuck in meetings for the rest of the day…" The occupant seated was not paying attention, at least not to the person attempting to speak with him. Rather, his attention was focused on the small cleaning device grasped delicately between two of his fingers. He watched the small cleaning brush with prickly black bristles twirl as he spun it around, small particles of black dust being thrown from the ends of the bristles. Moving his attention slightly to his left, he slowly brought the brush into a small opening on the backside of the object clutched securely in his left hand. Pulling and pushing back and forth, he forced the brush deep inside the small hole, making sure that he got every last bit of dust and powder residue out of the chamber. It wouldn't do for a gun that had been as active as this one to become dirty and rusted. Outside of his attention span, the man on the screen was still speaking. "Cagalli seems worried, but hopefully everything will go alright. I've already seen the damage reports, so that won't help us at all…" He frowned. "Hello? _Hello_? Frank, are you there? Earth to Frank! Can you hear me!?"

"Yeah, I'm here!" Frank Barkhesh's voice carried a tone of annoyance as he continued about the tender process of cleaning the firing chamber of his Walther P99 pistol. "I can here you fine, Mwu."

Mwu rolled his eyes. "Why are you worrying about that thing now anyway?"

"'Cause I'm not going to be able to use it for a while, genius," Frank said through clenched teeth. He removed the brush from the slot and snapped the gun chamber shut with a soft click. "I don't want it going to shit on me during that layoff. Anyway, yeah I heard you. I'll be in meetings for most of tomorrow too. The entire military down here's been going ballistic ever since Junius Seven came crashing down. I'll try to make it to the docks, but if I can't, I'll message you later on in the day."

"Thanks. What was the extent of the damage out there?"

"Not too bad, thankfully. Onogoro got hit the hardest, but because most of the important stuff is situated underground that didn't cause much of a fuss." Frank set his pistol down on the desk in front of him and leaned back in his chair. "Although I'm sad to say Kira and Lacus' place got totally leveled by one of those tsunami waves."

"Ouch."

"Yeah. I don't know if you know yet, but Murrue is letting 'em stay at you guys' place until they can find somewhere else permanent," Frank announced. Mwu indeed was surprised. "So when you get back you'll have more than one little mouth to feed."

"Eh, who cares? Murrue's too nice to let them stay someplace else anyway."

"Uh-huh."

"Besides, I would've invited them to stay over at our place anyway. They need all the help they can get right now." Mwu sighed. "But now that I think about it, I have to wonder how in the hell we're going to feed all those kids."

"Not to mention Andy."

"What?"

Frank chuckled. "You said it yourself; they need all the help they could get. Lacus called Andy; he's staying at your place to help until you get back."

"Geez, you think we should start a bed and breakfast out of our own house."

"Hey, that'd be a good way to make some money."

"Yeah, right."

"On a more pleasant note," Frank added, "Lacus' buddy from the city dropped by earlier today to see how we were doing. He's helping them move into your place, but he's still staying at his own place."

"The one with seven fingers and no insides?" Frank raised an eyebrow. "What? That's what he is!"

"You really have a way with people, don't you?"

"Like your any better," Mwu shot back. Both of them shared a quick, subdued laugh. "By the way, how's the new hand coming along?"

Frank, who had been twirling the cleaning brush in between his fingers, set the small stick down and brought his right hand in front of his face. This was the hand that he had intentionally sacrificed in order to save his co-pilot during the disastrous Cuban bombardment mission that had led to his and the others' defection from the Earth Forces. He had been fitted with a steel prosthetic hand during the last war, but now that they were at peace, he'd had a better fitting celluloid limb surgically attached in its place. This one looked much more like a regular flesh hand and did not emit the metallic sounds that the steel one had, which was why Frank preferred it to the other. He flexed it into a fist and then uncurled it so he could wiggle his fingers. "Nice. Very nice. Feels as if I never lost the original one."

"I bet Natarle was happy about that."

"No shit."

"How's she doing anyway?"

"She's alright. You know her though. When she can't be up and about, it gets into her head and she gets frustrated." He shrugged his shoulders. "Although it could be due to the mood swings…"

"What's the difference between that and how she normally is?"

"Hey!" Frank sounded hurt. "Lay off her. She's in a _delicate state_, remember?"

"I gotcha," Mwu laughed. "Well that's about it then, I guess."

"Okay."

"I'll see you sometime tomorrow hopefully Frank, alright?"

"I'll look forward to it."

"Thanks. Good night." As the screen dissolved into an array of static, Frank turned off the screen and shut down the line. He stood up gingerly, his knees shaking slightly after all the walking he'd been doing the last few days. He reached for his gun and held it up close to his face. He positioned his body into a crouch and pretended to take aim with the small pistol he'd had since he was eighteen. An heirloom from his father, it was the one material possession that meant a lot to Frank and it somewhat saddened him that he would have to part with it for a while. _Ah well. The opposite side's a lot better for me,_ he reminded himself. Making his way across the room, he opened the sliding drawer of a dark wooden cabinet and deposited the pistol inside. He shut the drawer and locked it with a key on his chain, a key that was the only one of its kind, specially made for him. He then double-checked the keypad lock on the larger cabinet doors above that drawer and made sure the door were locked securely. Behind those doors sat his other firearm, an old Remington 700 type rifle that he'd purchased as a young man when he would go hunting with friends on the weekends. He made sure the coded password was locked into the system, the one only he knew, and backed away from the cabinet slowly. Considering the path he was on right now, it was better to be safe than sorry.

He made his way cautiously through his house, his bare feet barely scraping against the floor as he went. He stopped at the closed doorway at the end of the upstairs hallway and paused. _What am I doing_? Frank shook his head, thinking of how silly he was being. He opened the door.

Peering inside, Frank could just barely make her out in the darkness. She was lying prone on her back, eyes closed, facial expression chiseled into a look that Frank couldn't put a word to. She was wearing a simple light blue gown that somehow shone brightly in the light bathing her through the room's only window above the king-sized bed. Natarle looked just as beautiful as she had the day they had met two years previous. The noticeable difference however, was her swollen middle that was cradled between her hands, which seemed to be placed there in an attempt to protect the spot where their unborn child rested. Although the day was closing fast, Frank still had a hard time believing it. He was going to be a father.

Shutting the door quietly behind him didn't stop Natarle from opening her eyes and turning her head slightly to the left to take in his figure. Her violet eyes seemed to penetrate into the deepest part of his soul, exactly the way they always did.

"You okay?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.

"What do you think?" Her tone was sharp. She glanced down at her middle. "I feel overweight and I'm nauseated. It's the same as it's always been!"

He moved toward her silently. "I think…you're letting your mood swings get the better of you again." He smiled honestly, but that didn't get through to her.

"What do you know?"

"Well…I really don't honestly."

"Go to hell!"

Frank shook his head. It had been like this for a while now. He began to unbutton his shirt and shrugged it off his shoulders. "I hope you know I'm only trying to do what's best for you, Natarle." She didn't answer. He sighed.

He climbed into bed and spread himself beside her. He lay on his side and balanced his head with his arm. He reached out with his other arm and gently began to stroke her arm. "Why do you keep doing this?" she whispered hoarsely.

"Because I want to," he answered sincerely. "Natarle…you know I would never do anything to hurt you…especially now. So please don't be angry…you know that's not good for you…and the little one."

He saw her expression soften somewhat. Gingerly, she managed to maneuver herself onto her side so she could face him directly. "I know…but I can't help it…"

"I know, I know. I also know that you're really worried. You're worried that because you have to stay like this that everything's going to fall apart…that bad stuff will happen because you can't be there." He moved his hand up to her face and cupped her cheek. "Natarle…you don't have to worry about all of that. Everything will go on smoothly while you're away. There are capable people out there who you know will do a fine job in your absence. They want you to know that too…so that you can concentrate on what really matters." She felt his other hand on her belly. After a short delay, she placed one of hers on his. They could both feel a soft tapping beneath their palms. "It's been kicking again, hasn't it?"

She nodded slowly. "It's been like this for the last week. I think it's getting impatient." They had decided to wait until the birth to find out what gender their baby was.

"At least you won't have to wait for very much longer."

"Yeah…" Her voice trailed off. Frank could tell that there was something else bothering her.

"What's wrong?"

She looked into his eyes. "Frank…um…do you still…find me attractive…?"

His eyes widened. He almost had to stifle a laugh. The smile on his face reflected his mood. "Natarle. Are you kidding?" He pushed a strand of her short black hair out of her face and kissed her forehead. "As far as I'm concerned…you're even more beautiful now than when I first met you." For the first time that night, she smiled. "You will _always_ be beautiful to me. And…" He kissed her gently on the lips. She moaned slightly inside her throat. "…I will _always_ love you." Natarle looked as if she were on the verge of sobbing. "Now go to sleep, okay?"

Natarle changed her sight angle suddenly as she felt the hem of her gown being pulled up. Frank slowly maneuvered the silky fabric up over her belly and moved down slowly until his face was level with that of their child. His hand continued to stroke her as he moved his lips closer to her skin. His breath was cool as he spoke. "No kicking mommy tonight, okay? She needs her rest." He kissed her belly, his brown mustache hairs tickling her sensitive skin. "I love you."

All at once, the gentle patting on the inside of her stomach stopped. Natarle's mouth dropped slightly. She smiled as she stroked her belly and her baby within it. "Did you hear that…? Your daddy loves you," she whispered. "And mommy loves you very much." She looked into his brown eyes. "And _mommy_ loves _daddy_ very much too." They came together in another kiss and fell asleep in each other's embrace moments later.

_**-La Flaga Residence, Orb Union, October 7, C.E. 73, 0000.**_

The house that had come to be known as the la Flaga residence was situated along a winding scenic road that ran along Orb's western coast. The house was at an approximate elevation of eighty feet on a wide bend above the ocean, with a rocky expanse slopping downward toward a small bank of sand and rocks that led into the sea. Above the cliff, there was a good sized and well-maintained bed of grass that sloped down gradually towards the edge of the cliff, acting as a barrier between the house and the drop. The house itself was a sight to see. Two stories tall, with a spacious interior and virtually all of the possessions necessary to maintain a household, and then some, it was a place that reflected the peaceful surroundings that this relatively unincorporated area of the Orb Union boasted.

That was until the first black wet-suit clad individual trudged onto the sand barge directly beneath the house. He pressed himself against the damp surface of a boulder near the shore and scanned the area through his red tinted night-vision goggles. After making sure the scene was clear, he motioned toward the ocean where the rest of the group waited. They made their way professionally up onto the beach and then into a heavy grouping of rocks that would serve as a hiding spot for the momentary pause in their trek.

The final three each carried a black duffel bag, equipped with many pockets for which they carried the smaller pieces of their equipment. They unzipped the bags and passed out the .22 caliber sub-machine guns and military assault rifles stored in the bags, each member of the dozen and three squad receiving at least one of the deadly weapons. Each man then took of his wet-suit and checked their body armor to make sure their dark-colored infiltration uniforms were secure. The leader of the unit slipped his black flippers off of his feet and checked the data-watch on his right wrist. Everything seemed to be set. Their back-up units were waiting should they need them, but their orders had been to only use them as a last resort. He snapped a 100-round magazine into the firing chamber of his gun and spoke loud enough so that his voice could be heard, but soft enough so that it didn't reach over the gentle lapping of the waves just a few meters away. "Everything is set. Make sure your weapons are loaded and that all your equipment is operating up to standard. Remember what was said during the briefing. We have to be swift, yet subtle here tonight. Got that? Leave no trace of her death at the site. Make sure you get her nonetheless."

"Roger." The fifteen man unit then began to proceed up the precarious slopes along the cliff's edge up towards the dust brown colored brick building. The leader directed them further to the south so they could approach the house from a good distance. They emerged over the edge of the cliff approximately one hundred and fifty yards away and began to make their way silently across a weed-infested meadow towards the house up the road.

Inside the house, amidst the late-night darkness that cast an eerie navy blue shadow over every inch of the building, which wasn't helped by the fact that almost every room in the house was coated with a glossy blue paint, the residents, many of whom had arrived only a few days before, were sound asleep in the house's many second-story bedrooms.

Lacus shared a guest room with the orphans that she had been taking care of for many weeks near the main staircase, her long pink hair serving as a sort of blanket for the youngest orphan who was cuddled up close to the princess. Kira lay in the room directly to the north of Lacus', while the Reverend Malchio and Caridad Yamato occupied the rooms across from them. Andrew Waltfeld, who had agreed to stay there only at the request of Lacus and the others, slept in the final guest bedroom near the end of the hallway. There was also a study, another smaller room, and finally the master bedroom, where the house's real occupant was now curled up in the room's king-sized bed.

With the room's lone window slightly ajar, the bed covers pulled over her to keep herself warm, her dark brown hair strewn about her beautiful face, and thin white nightgown gently caressing her smooth, creamy skin, Murrue la Flaga slept soundly with her knees pulled up close to her chest, head laid gently upon one of the bed's soft pillows, and arms stretched out towards the opposite end of the bed as if she were reaching for something that wasn't there. Actually, it was some_one_ who Murrue was reaching for, but wasn't there.

Although she tried not to show it on the outside when she went about her everyday life, on the inside it tore her apart not having him there with her. She hated it when he had to go out on long missions like this; she missed him badly. However, just because Mwu wasn't there physically, didn't mean that he wasn't with her psychologically. This was the case at the present moment. Murrue was standing among a bed of seemingly endless flowers stretching as far as she could see, with crystal blue skies above her, and the beautiful scenery of snow-capped mountains in the distance. She twirled herself around and felt as light as a feather as she moved. Then she saw him. He was standing just a few feet away with his arms folded and his usual galvanizing smile. Murrue smiled from ear to ear as she flung herself towards him. He caught her lithe body and spun her around in his arms. He held her tight and kissed her lips. Then a small object flew down from the sky and circled them both. The figure was small, with chubby hands and feet, small blond curls on its head, and deep blue eyes that matched Mwu's. Murrue reached her arms out and caught the baby, bringing it close to her body and holding it in her arms. She looked into Mwu's eyes and then into their baby's. It smiled up at her and to her surprise, sound came out of its small throat. "HARO! HARO! Too bad…!"

Murrue groaned as she began to stir under the covers. She forced one eye open, effectively dissolving the images of her dream away, and leaving her with a pain deep inside her. "Too bad! This isn't good!" _Wait a minute…_ That was the chirpy voice of Lacus' toy HARO.

HARO's call was also heard in the other rooms as the small, circular robotic figure churned down the hallway that housed the bedrooms. Andy sat up quickly in bed. "We've got a problem!" _Damn!_ The only time HARO blurted out something like that was when there really was trouble. The old veteran threw the covers off of his well-built frame and bolted out of bed. He forced his bulky arms into the sleeves of one of his button-up shirts and then dug through one of his temporary drawers to grasp the firm butts of his two 9 mm Glocks. He'd only been authorized to keep them with him on the promise that he'd keep them hidden and unloaded. Digging through another drawer for his small ammunition magazines, Andy scooped them up and bolted for the door, a gun in each hand.

Kira too heard HARO's warning and, sensing something troubling outside, immediately went to glance out the window in his room. He thought he saw something moving up the causeway towards the house. Kira frowned when he was able to make out the form of a sub-machine gun cradled in the figure's grasp. Without hesitation, he headed towards the door to his room. He opened it just in time to see Andy heading down the hallway towards the staircase. "Mr. Waltfeld…?" Kira mumbled sleepily.

Andy rushed over to Kira and pushed him back into his room. "You awake?" Kira narrowed his eyes. "Okay, dumb question."

"What's happening?" Kira demanded.

"I'm not sure. You saw them though, right?" Kira nodded. "I wonder where they're from." He shoved one of the Glocks into Kira's chest. Kira's violet eyes widened at the sight of the weapon. "You okay to use one of these?" Kira was hesitant. But when he heard a noise close to the house, his mind came to the conclusion that something had to be done. He nodded to Andy, accepted the gun, and eyed it carefully. "Get dressed. Look after Lacus and the children, alright. Take them to the shelter!" Kira nodded again and went back into his room to change.

Murrue shoved both of her long legs into the confines of her pants and fastened them underneath her silk nightgown. She slipped on a pair of shoes and glanced outside her open window. She could see two figures making their way cautiously up the side staircase of her house. One of them looked up towards the second story window which Murrue was leaning out of and Murrue could see his eyes behind his goggles. The moment she saw that, Murrue knew that something bad was on the verge of happening again. She darted for her closet. Pushing aside her clothes inside, she reached for a small shoe-box that was secured with a steel chain and padlock. She twisted the lock to the right, left, and right again, utilizing the special combination and tore the lock and chain off of the box. The small Walther P99 sparkled once the dim blue light from the room shone across its surface. Murrue placed the gun, which was identical to the one owned by her older brother Frank, in her grasp and inserted a small nine bullet magazine into the chamber. As soon as she pulled the firing chamber back into position, she heard something that made her heart stop. It was a high-pitched wail coming from the room directly next to hers. Without even stopping to think, Murrue slammed herself against the wall next to the open doorway and pushed on it gently so she could peer inside.

She shoved the Walther into the crack in the door and pointed it in three directions. The crying hadn't stopped. Murrue made her way slowly into the darkened room strewn about with small, fluffy objects and, after making sure that there was no threat inside, quickly made her way over to the cradle next to the wall that separated the small nursery from her bedroom. "Ooohh, Desmond…shhh…it's okay, it's okay…!" Murrue picked up her five-month old baby son Desmond, blue eyes and blond curls standing out in the darkness, and held him under the shoulders while he cried. She kissed him sweetly on the nose and brought him to her shoulder so she could stroke his small back. "It's okay, it's okay…! Mommy's here…!" Rocking her son gently against her, Murrue leaned her back against the nursery wall. "It's okay…" she cooed quietly, trying to get Desmond to stop crying. It hadn't worked yet. "I know, baby, I know…those mean men scared you…! Don't worry, it's okay…" Murrue fingered the pistol in her other hand as she held Desmond, eventually bringing the firearm directly into her line of sight. She closed her eyes. "Mommy's not going to let _anything_ happen to you…it's okay…it's okay…"

"Lacus!" Lacus began to stir under the covers of her bed, but it wasn't until Kira whispered her name again that she opened her eyes. It was hard to see him, his black clothes almost perfectly camouflaging Kira in the darkness. Only by the bright violet of his eyes could Lacus tell it was him. She slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"Kira…?"

"Shhh! Everybody wake up!"

As the orphans began to groan their way awake, Lacus' vision improved enough that it got used to the darkness. She could now make out Kira's entire frame hovering over her. "Kira…what's…?" Lacus stopped suddenly when she noticed the gun in his hand. Kira frowned and averted his eyes. "Come on! Get the kids up! We have to hurry!"

"What's happening…?" Lacus said sleepily.

"I don't know," Kira said truthfully.

In the hallway, Malchio had also been awakened by HARO's persistent bantering. He opened the door to his room an instant before Caridad opened hers. "Reverend Malchio. What's happening?"

"I don't know."

"Are you two alright?" Murrue appeared at the corner of the hallway, holding Desmond with one hand and her pistol with the other. "We have to get to the shelter. Something bad-!" She was cut short when the first gunshot rang out from below them.

Andy glanced through the broken window pane and saw that one of his two shots had struck the commando beneath his night-vision goggles and ruptured his throat, leaving him hissing painfully on the grass as he lay dying. After literally vaulting down the main staircase into the la Flaga's living room, Andy had seen the commando trying to enter through a side window and had quickly opened fire. Unfortunately, one of his shots had also shattered the window pane above the man, which effectively gave Andy's position away to the other commandoes outside.

"Mr. Waltfeld!" Kira yelled from the top of the staircase.

"Get to the shelter, Kira! There are more of them outside!" Andy threw himself away from the window just before the first round of machine gun fire ripped through the opening and tore into the shelves directly opposite the window. He climbed up from his knees and fired a few more shots through the window, though he was unable to see actually how many there were at this spot.

"The shelter's this way!" Murrue shouted to everyone. With Desmond still crying in her arms, she pointed the way to a separate staircase that would lead to another part of the house's main floor. Malchio took two of the orphans by the hand and guided them through the hallway with Caridad and another orphan directly behind them.

Kira pushed Lacus into the hallway, along with the last of the orphans. He placed his hand square in the middle of Lacus' back and nudged her along. Something caught his ear directly behind them. "Lacus!" Taking Lacus by the shoulder's, Kira pushed her and the young child into the doorway of a nearby room and fired once towards the window at the far end of the hallway, hitting the commando in the right shoulder and leaving him sprawled out over the open window. Kira was a bit startled that that single shot had managed to kill him.

Kira ducked into the doorway, took Lacus' hand and said, "Go! I'll hold them off. You have to get to the shelter!" There was more gunfire in the hallway as two more commandoes attempted to get in through the upstairs window where their fallen comrade was. Murrue fired several times without luck, but she was more concerned about her crying baby that she was holding in her other arm than the commandoes that were trying to kill them. "Go!" Lacus and the child sprinted into the hallway while Kira laid out some cover fire. The commandoes ducked behind the wall while Kira took cover in the doorway. They emerged at the same time and engaged in another round of fire before they each ducked for cover once again. Kira glanced ahead of him and saw that Lacus had made it around the corner and that Murrue was gesturing madly at him to get a move on. Kira checked to make sure his Glock still had sufficient ammunition and then bolted out of the doorway and down the hallway. At the same time, the commandoes at the window started firing again with their assault rifles. Almost instinctively, Kira hurtled himself into the air, bounced off of the floor and then somersaulted around the corner where he landed in a crouch. Their target gone, the commandoes hesitated momentarily and Murrue picked one of the off with two quick shots to the chest. Kira got to his feet and yelled, "Let's go!"

Andy had retreated to the main staircase which he was now crouched behind. He used the separated beams of the hand-railing to return fire and managed to nail one of the commandoes that had entered the house through the open window. However, there were still four others in the living room now and he realized that it would probably serve him best if he were to retreat. He bolted from his hiding spot and turned a corner just ahead of a burst of gunfire. He ran through the dining, past the fine china cabinets and perfectly set table, and dove into the kitchen. He had helped Mwu and Frank construct this house, so he knew its design fairly well. The entrance to the shelter below the house was just outside the laundry room. In order to get there, he had to go through the kitchen, around a corner, into another hallway, and around another corner. He would have his back to the commandoes when he reached the hallway, so he would have to be quick. As Andy began to make his way towards the first corner that would lead into the hallway, he pushed the door aside and suddenly found himself face to face with another commando who was hiding behind the door. The masked commando had a combat knife in his hand and lunged toward Andy, catching him cleanly in the left forearm. Andy screeched as he held off the commando with his right arm, but his pistol fell out of his left hand and clattered to the floor. He could see the man's eyes behind his goggles. There was no remorse in them. The only emotion Andy could make out was desire; a desire to do his job and nothing else. Andy's legs were still free and he quickly raised his right leg up to the commando's chest and gave him a hard shove, sending the man flailing backwards into a dishwasher, glass clanking together inside of it. Before the commando could stand up, Andy shot him twice in the chest.

Smoke billowed from the barrel of the small shotgun that now served as Andy's right forearm below the elbow. He'd lost the actual limb in the last war, during a mobile suit battle with the man he'd just given a pistol to moments before. Although the gun was a battle scar, Andy had to admit that it did have its advantages. He reached down to pick up the cover for his shotgun arm and opened the refrigerator door so he could avoid being shot by the commandoes that had followed his course into the dining room behind him. Andy shot around the door and struck down two of the commandoes. He replaced the cover on his arm and picked up the Glock that was sitting on the tiles near him.

"Our target has moved to Area E with the children." Andy glanced back over his shoulder towards the lifeless, bleeding body of the commando that had stabbed him. His radio link had been left open. "She has no weapon. She only has one female and one male guard with her. Hurry up and finish her!" Andy frowned. _Why the hell are they after _her He pressed himself against the kitchen wall and peered into the hallway next to him. The coast appeared clear. As Andy darted out into the hallway, he thought to himself, _that guy back there…he was a Coordinator._

"Stay away from the windows!" Murrue ordered everyone in her group in a whisper. She was now leading the group to the end of the upstairs hallway toward a doorway. Kira was at the rear of the group, still laying down cover fire towards the commandoes still coming toward them from behind. He rushed to Lacus' side as Murrue opened the door, which led to a wooden staircase that would take them to the lower level of the house. Kira beckoned Lacus forward and glanced outside one of the hallway windows. He could make out a few armored figures now making there way up the rear terrace of the house, trying to get into the back door. He shot through the windows at them, glass shattering at his feet. The commandoes returned fire, but they didn't hit anyone. They were at too great a distance for their weapons. Kira ejected the Glock's cartridge and inserted his last round into the weapon. Lacus called for him and he sprinted towards the doorway. A shot just missed over his shoulder and splintered wood on the door. Kira pivoted quickly on his left foot and fired three shots, striking the commando behind him in both legs and right shoulder. The man screamed in pain, but Kira and Lacus were already heading down the stairs.

Murrue was already at the back door with the others when Kira and Lacus reached the bottom of the staircase in the laundry room. Murrue opened the back door slightly peered outside. "All clear," she whispered. Gunshots rang out from behind them, causing everyone to stiffen. Andy dove around the corner and into the laundry room, landing on his behind, but still in a favorable position to fire back which he did. He downed the last commando behind him and slowly got to his feet.

Murrue had opened the door that led to a small stone pathway which ended with a solid steel door built into the stone masonry. "Can you open the door, Reverend Malchio? We'll cover for you." Kira and Andy went through the doorway and stood beside Murrue on the pathway so that Malchio and the others could enter the shelter. Malchio located the keypad and paused. "The password's twelve-twelve-twenty-two," Murrue whispered to him. She had somehow gotten Desmond to stop crying, though he still held onto his mother firmly.

"That's kind of an obvious password isn't it?" Andy quipped.

"It's my father's birthday!" Murrue shot back.

Above them, the remaining commando inside the house that Kira had wounded earlier was now leaning outside of a second story window directly above the shelter entrance. He had the barrel of his assault rifle trained directly on the pink head of Lacus Clyne.

"I will not accept that!" HARO appeared out of nowhere and jumped beside Lacus. Kira glanced backwards and then looked up and saw the gun pointed directly at Lacus. "_Lacus_!" Kira dove for her and threw her down onto the pathway, covering her with his own body. The commando got off one shot that was perfectly on target, for where Lacus had been standing. The shot sprayed dust and stone fragments across the pathway. Andy noticed the gunman too and fired a succession of shots into the man's head, leaving him sprawled out across the window sill, his gun clattering to the ground motionless.

Malchio punched in the code and the steel door sighed open, allowing the group access to another stairwell which would take them underground into the shelter. Kira helped Lacus up and asked if she was alright. She said she was. As Malchio led Caridad, Lacus, and the orphans into the shelter, the remaining trio waited in case the other commandoes decided to make an appearance. Andy glanced over to Murrue and told her to go. Kira nodded in agreement. Murrue literally sprinted on the balls of her feet down the stairwell and towards the shelter. Kira went next and as soon as he reached the stairwell, Andy began firing at two commandoes that had managed to make it up to the terrace and had located the shelter door. He fired until the magazine in his Glock was empty. He then spun around and ran as best he could towards the doorway. Kira was waiting for him there and Andy dove through the doorway just as Kira pushed the release button on the door and sealed it shut. Andy's dive had taken him too far however and he tumbled down the staircase and landed with a painful thud at the bottom.

"Andy!" Murrue said concerned.

He managed a smile. "I guess I'm not as mobile as I used to be…" he said painfully. He groaned as he sat up. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Lacus responded.

Kira made his way down to the bottom of the staircase. The shelter was constructed of stainless steel on all four walls with many different retreat zones that would lead further underground in case the first one was breached. Malchio and Caridad began to sit the orphans down on either of two benches inside the shelter while the others conversed.

"Those commandoes are Coordinators," Murrue said.

Andy nodded. "They're no amateurs either. They've been trained in combat."

Murrue plopped down on one of the benches and set her pistol beside her. She focused her entire attention now on her infant son, who she cradled in both of her arms and began to rock gently, attempting to sooth him back into sleep. "Coordinator special forces," she whispered. "Could it be any worse?"

"Do you think they're with the ZAFT Forces?" Kira asked Andy.

"We can't be positive yet. But for them to go after her…" He glanced at Lacus out of the corner of his sole remaining eye, another reminder of the battle he and Kira had had during the last war. Lacus was whispering calming words to the orphans to calm them down. It was almost as if she hadn't a clue that the commandoes had been after her specifically.

"But why Lacus?" Kira wondered out loud.

"I don't know," Andy admitted, echoing the sentiments of everyone inside the shelter.

Outside the shelter, the commando leader attempted to decipher the keypad that would give him and his remaining squad access to the shelter, but he was locked out each time. He slammed his fist against the keypad in frustration. "Damn! How could we fail?" He turned to his four remaining men. "Bring out the ASSHs. We've got no choice now. We can't return as failures. We must take Lacus Clyne's life right here and now, no matter what. Otherwise, the plan won't work."

About twenty minutes passed with no sign of any more attacks, although the shelter didn't offer much input into the outside action. Murrue managed to lull Desmond into a peaceful slumber and she now held him gently in her arms, his head supported by her left arm. "He looks so peaceful when he sleeps," Kira whispered to her.

Murrue smiled. "He only started sleeping through the night two months ago." She could feel Desmond's gentle breathing against her chest as she held him. "I had a hard time leaving him when he did. He looked so beautiful."

"Kira. Mr. Waltfeld. Mrs. Murrue." Lacus stood before the trio with HARO quietly resting in her hands. Lacus' expression was solemn. "They were after me, weren't they?" All three of them hesitated. Kira started to open his mouth to reassure her, but suddenly the shelter began to shake violently.

The orphans began to cry out in fear again with Malchio and Caridad trying to keep them calm. "Grenades?" Murrue wondered as she stood up carefully so as not to wake Desmond.

Kira took Lacus into his arms. He held her tight as he listened intently, trying to get an idea of what was going on outside the shelter. He heard and felt severe vibrations, which indicated explosions, which would account for the tremors they were now feeling. He also sensed something different; something dull and heavy. There were many of them. It sounded as if they were getting closer. Kira's eyes widened when he realized what they were. His insides began to fill with dread. "Mobile suits." Every eye in the shelter was directed towards Kira. Based on his expression and the continuing force of the tremors vibrating through the shelter, they knew that he was probably right.

"We have to go deeper," Murrue said. "Move into the next room!" The group proceeded through another set of doors which Kira locked.

Outside, the spanking new ASSH model aquatic mobile suits began to file their way onto the meadow that led up to the house. Upgraded models from their ZnO ancestors, the ASSHs were painted a bright green with huge shoulder missile launches and sharp claws. The commando leader fired a barrage toward the house that struck just below the foundation, sending mounds of dirt and grass into the air. "Keep firing at one part of the shelter! Once we get past that wall, our mission is over!"

"Yes, sir!" The four other ASSHs opened fire on the house, trying to blast their way into the shelter and incinerate everyone inside.

The group inside the shelter retreated further into the line of rooms protected by steel doors and many of them were out of breath. "They were, and still are, after her. Damn it!" Andy swore. "Kira?"

"I don't know how many, or what they have out there."

"But with enough firepower this place won't last long," Andy finished. Murrue glanced down at Desmond. He was still asleep. Kira took Lacus' hand and grasped it firmly. Another tremor shook the shelter. This one was much worse. They had penetrated the outer edge and reached the main door to the shelter. "Murrue! You have your keys with you, right?" Murrue's eyes widened and she glanced at Andy. She knew was he was suggesting, but she couldn't believe that it had actually come to that. "We have to open the door. It's our only option. Unless you suggest we all die here without putting up a fight."

Murrue sighed. "We can't have that."

"Murrue." Kira was staring at the both of them suspiciously. Murrue thinned her lips into a sliver and glanced over Kira's shoulder. Kira turned and looked into the face of a huge set of steel doors. He sensed something behind them; something powerful. The presence behind the doors was eerily familiar to him. Then it hit him. His mouth went agape. Kira shot Murrue and Andy a glance. "Is it…?"

"We brought it back with us and repaired it," Andy answered. "We never thought it would have to be used for something like this again." Murrue nodded in concurrence.

"Kira," Lacus whispered. Kira turned back towards the huge doors and was silent. Lacus held onto him tightly.

"…hand me the keys, Murrue." Lacus' eyes widened. Kira was now looking back at the others. "I'll open the door."

"Kira…" Murrue stammered. "…are you sure…?"

"Kira…" Lacus whispered.

He looked down into her blue eyes. "It would bother me more if I couldn't protect you than for that to happen instead. It's all right. I'm all right with it, Lacus."

"Kira."

"So…Murrue…give me the keys." Murrue sighed. She reached into her pants pocket and pulled out a silver chain with a single key on it. Kira took it and squeezed it firmly in his hand.

"I trust you have yours with you?" Murrue asked Andy.

"Never go anywhere without 'em." Kira and Andy reached for a pair of handle protruding from the shelter's plain gray walls and withdrew computerized locks. They each inserted their keys and waited for the other to nod approval. Andy counted down. "Three…two…one…" They turned the keys.

The doors slid open slowly, revealing a huge expanse enshrouded in darkness. Both men began to walk into the darkness, traveling a few meters before they came to the end of their path. Andy snapped his fingers and a dazzling display of white lights activated. Kira's instincts had been correct. Standing proudly in front of him, its green eyes still as bright as they had been when he'd last piloted it two years before, was the ZGMF-X10A Freedom. All her armor had been replaced, all her weapons refurbished, and everything else that went into her had been rebuilt. She looked as good as new.

Andy nodded to Kira and he slowly began to make his way towards her cockpit. Murrue came beside Andy and watched from the platform as Kira clambered into the cockpit through the Freedom's upper torso. He plopped down into the pilot's seat and squirmed; it was still formed in the exact way he had left it. He began to power up the systems and checked to make sure that each of them worked. _Thrusters, check. Diagnostics check. Phase shift…_ Kira pressed a button and the Freedom slowly turned from a charcoal gray to a bright mesh of white, blue, and black. A familiar screen flashed to life on the Freedom's control board. It read: GENERATION UNSUBDUED NUCLEAR DRIVE ASSAULT MODULE…GUNDAM.

The Freedom's mighty engines began to roar to life. Kira eased into the chair and waited for the machine's engines to reach full potential. When they did, he eased the Freedom's throttle forward and pressed down on the acceleration pedal with his foot. Murrue watched it and then felt Desmond stir in her arms. She looked down and saw that he was awake, his blue eyes trained on the giant mobile suit in front of them. His face lit up and he reached toward the Freedom as it began to make its ascent out of the hangar.

The lead ASSH fired again towards the house, this time striking beneath the terrace and hitting the first door of the shelter. As the dirt and other material began to subside around him, he said, "Okay, let's go!"

The shelter began to shake again. "They've pierced the wall," Andy said.

"Find our target. Where are Oluan and the others?" the commando leader demanded. Suddenly, the ground below him began to shake. He glanced to the north and saw something that he couldn't believe. The ground up the hill was actually moving!

The concealed hangar doors slid aside and there was a few seconds pause before Kira the Freedom flashed out of the hangar and into the open sky of the night. From the cockpit, Kira could see the ASSHs just below the house along the hill, with a small assortment of fires burning around the complex. They were getting close to the shelter. Kira tightened his grip on the controls. He wasn't about to let Lacus and the others die.

"Is that possible? It's the Freedom!"

"What?"

"Shut up and shoot it!" the leader yelled to his men.

Kira spread the Freedom's fins and soared high into the sky. A seed exploded before his eyes. Kira mashed down on the accelerator and raced towards the nearest ASSH. The commando inside tried to fire at the quickly approaching Freedom, but Kira was too quick and elusive, throwing the Freedom into a fancy assortment of rolls and twists. He reached for one of the Freedom's beam sabers in its hips and lunged at the ASSH. He swung upwards, adjusted his aim, and then swung back down, decapitating both of the ASSHs arms. The others ASSHs were now firing at him, but their slow weapons couldn't keep up with something as quick as the Freedom. Kira threw the mobile suit into a barrel roll and pointed it down towards the ground. He fired the Freedom's Balaena rail cannons over its inverted shoulders and struck the ASSH on the right in the head and legs, blowing the limbs off. He then used the Freedom's Lupus beam rifle and shot off both of the next ASSHs arms. Kira let the Freedom fall until it was just above the water. He then skimmed the glassy surface and sent the Freedom racing upward. An ASSH tried to target him, but Kira sliced apart its hands and then kicked it a good distance away. Only the leader remained and he scowled as he fired madly at the rapidly accelerating Freedom. "How could that be?" Kira landed on the ground and the ASSH lunged at him with its hand cannon fully charged. Kira ducked down onto one knee and drove his machine's right hand into the ASSHs abdomen. Kira ground his teeth together as he lifted the ASSH off of the ground and slammed it onto its back with a giant impact. When it tried to get back to its feet, Kira quickly and precisely blew off its head, right arm, left arm, shoulder cannons, right leg, and left leg. The ASSH fell to the ground beside its fellow mobile suits.

Inside the cockpit, the commando cried out in frustration. How could they have failed? _It's over now. We have to finish this before we're captured. We cannot let this get out!_ "Do it!" he shouted.

Kira, who had started towards the disabled ASSHs, was suddenly stopped dead in his tracks when one of the machine's exploded brilliantly while it lay on the ground. Kira's mouth went aghast as three more of the machines went up in balls of fire, the infernos consuming the pilots within. The lead commando was the only one remaining. He grinned at the Freedom as he reached for the important lever. "We may have failed…but you will lose Freedom…!" He threw the switch. The ASSH exploded and the subsequent tremors shook the ground until it cracked and weathered. The mound of Earth that had been supporting the mobile suits broke away from the cliff and tumbled down towards the ocean, splashing down in a huge spray of salt water and sinking into the waves moments later. Kira watched the entire episode wide-eyed and horrified.

A short distance away, at the top of the terrace, Murrue, Andy, Lacus, and the others had emerged from the shelter and watched as the ASSHs fell into the sea. They too could not believe their eyes. Lacus held HARO tightly as she watched the Freedom and Kira stare over the side of the cliff at the spot where the enemy mobile suits had fallen to their destruction. Kira had merely disabled them; he had not sought to kill them. Instead, they had taken their own lives. Lacus wondered why.

She heard something snap directly behind her. Murrue gasped. Andy aimed his gun directly at Lacus. More precisely, he was aiming it at the commando standing directly behind Lacus, his head looming over her shoulder, with a knife pressed breathtakingly close to her throat. Lacus did not move an inch. The commando was hurt badly, a victim of a gunshot wound inside the house. However, he had survived where his comrades had died and now he was a millimeter away from putting an end to this mission, a successful one at that. Andy and Murrue both were pointing their guns at the man, but they could do nothing. The moment he got even an inkling that they were going to fire, he would slit Lacus' throat and kill her. Lacus could feel the sharp blade delicately close to her throat. Shivering, she shut her eyes.

BANG! The knife wilted for a moment and then fell to the ground. Lacus felt something wet hit the back of her neck and shoulder. The commando gasped hoarsely, staggered to the right, and then collapsed in a heap on the ground beside them, blood trickling out of the back of his neck and his mouth. Lacus stood perfectly still and opened her eyes; not exactly sure of what had just happened. Murrue and the others came over to her, asking if she was alright. She said she was, but when she felt behind her for what had hit her, her fingers came back with red blood stains on them, horrifying her.

"No…way…" Andy was standing at the edge of the terrace, looking uphill, with a small smile on his face and bewilderment in his eyes. "There is no…way…he can be _that_ good of a shot…" Murrue squinted in the direction Andy was looking and then she saw it. The house directly up the road from hers, the one that was connected to the hangar's opposite end, the one that she herself had helped build only months before. There was someone on the roof. She smiled. He had been there for her again.

Frank stared through the telescopic lens on the top of his Remington for a few more seconds after he had fired the shot. He had heard the initial gunshots and had gone out on the balcony of his house to investigate. When he realized what was happening, he unlocked the cabinet doors and retrieved his rifle, then proceeded to climb up onto the roof of his house, from which he had overlooked the entire raucous at his sister and brother-in-law's home. He had been the only one to see the commando come up behind Lacus and stick the knife to her throat. His back was to him and based on his body positioning relative to Lacus', the only shot Frank had was a kill-shot. The lone shot had been perfect, striking the man in the back, upper part of his neck and had penetrated the throat and emerged through the back of his mouth on the other side. His throat shattered, the man had crumpled to the ground, dead before he landed. Frank's shot was still as deadly as it had always been. That didn't stop the sinking feeling inside his stomach however. As Frank watched the fires continue to burn into the night until the Freedom and the others put them out, he had a bad feeling that things were about to turn ugly once again.

_**-Minerva, Pacific Ocean, 0100.**_

Shinn could see the tips of the embers stretching into the sky on the other side of the island of Orb. The _Minerva_ was now only a short distance away, so he could make out the bright lights of the cities and beaches on the island nation's southern coasts. He'd had the dream about his parents and sister dying again. He had bolted out of bed and gone out for a walk and had ended up on the ship's rear deck. That's when he first saw the fires. Shinn stood there and watched for several minutes. The sight of the burning fires and rising black smoke reminded him of that terrible day two years before. The images of his parents and sister's dead, bloodied bodies filled his brain. Shinn gulped. _What's happening? _Despite everything that had supposedly happened during the past two years of peace, very little appeared to have changed.

**END PHASE-08**


	10. Phase 09 Junction

**Phase-09 Junction**

_**-Morgenrate Dock A, Onogoro Island, Orb Union, October 7, C.E. 73, 0900.**_

Partly cloudy skies allowed the mid-morning sunshine to peek down onto the wide waterway that led from the Pacific Ocean into Onogoro Island's central repair dock. The waterway was wide enough to admit both the _Minerva_ and _Kusanagi_ side-by-side, with the dock splitting the waterway down the middle the long way for approximately a hundred yards. The berths at the end of the waterway were just big enough to admit both warships.

The waterway's large size didn't make berthing the large warships any easier however. The rest of the _Minerva's _bridge was silent as Felix listened to a harbor pilot give him instructions on how to properly place the _Minerva_ into the waiting berth. "Starboard two degrees. Decelerate an additional twenty percent." Felix turned the ship's helm slightly to the right and eased off on the throttles which would lessen the amount of power the ship's engines were turning out. "Maintain this heading until you reach the designated buoys." Felix rolled his eyes. _Who do these guys think is driving this ship, a ten-year-old kid? Geez._

Roland noticed the people waiting for them on the dock. It appeared to him that some of them were rather well dressed for this occasion. "Well it's not much…but then again I really wasn't expecting any type of welcome after what happened."

"It's not _us_ they're waiting for remember," Ian reminded him. They were sitting in the darkness of the ship's lower bridge. "We're returning the Princess…that's probably why everybody showed up."

Roland snorted. "Not too optimistic are you?"

"What you rather me do, jump up and down with joy and dance around like a moron?"

"That's something I'd rather not picture, Ian."

As the _Minerva_ slowly churned towards the dock, Cagalli paced back and forth along the upper bridge's observation platform with her hands clasped behind her back. Much had happened since she had last been home. She wondered if anything significant had changed and hoped that nothing terrible had happened in her absence. The fragments of information she'd received via the _Kusanagi_ weren't very informative and it didn't stop her worrying one bit.

Much like the _Minerva's_ bridge, the bridge crew of the _Kusanagi_ was also silent as their ship was moved towards Dock A. Mwu sat with his hands in his lap, his eyes closed. His peaceful external expression masked the turmoil going on inside of him. He'd heard about the assault from Frank about an hour before they'd arrived. He'd been told everything was alright and that his wife and son were okay, but that didn't stop him from being concerned. However, he was the Commander of the Orb Space Fleet and one of the highest ranking officers in the nation. He had to maintain his professional demeanor. He was still worried.

Dock A's intercom system buzzed with announcements as the two warships began to inch their way underneath the structure that had been built over the dock to protect it from inclement weather. "Onogoro Port Control One reporting to all stations. Zulu Alpha and Meta Charlie arrival confirmed. From this point on, Meta Charlie will switch to nav-com Delta, and Zulu Alpha will link nav-com to guidance channel Bravo. Zulu Alpha port entry sequence, go."

The _Minerva_ slowly began to rotate counter-clockwise so she could enter the dock stern first. The mighty warship was an imposing figure to the smaller people on the stone dock below, even though the ship was merely here for repairs. On the dock, Orb Representative Yuna Roma Seiran folded his arms across his chest and tilted his neck from right to left. He'd been quite busy ever since the Junius Seven drop several days ago and his lack of sleep was evident on his face.

"So this is ZAFT's latest smart ship, the _Minerva_," his father, Prime Minister Unato Ema Seiran observed. Yuna tilted his neck directly behind him and felt it crack. His mouth twitched. He rubbed the back of his neck and could see his father shaking his head out of the corner of his eye. "Our princess has brought home something rather troublesome."

Yuna smiled. Sleepily, he responded, "It can't be helped, Father. I imagine Cagalli never dreamed she'd be involved in all this trouble." _Let alone everything that may be waiting on the horizon._

"It would be much easier for us if that ship weren't here."

"Well, we can't exactly treat the ship that brought our head of state back safely, with a cold shoulder," Yuna pointed out. "We should treat it with grace and dignity while it's here. That's the least we could offer as a thanks."

"Yes. We will…for the time being."

Yuna frowned. "Why must you talk like that? It's disheartening when you predict things that haven't occurred yet, Father. You have to remember that nothing has happened yet and we can't be sure that anything will go as predicted in today's world."

"Yes. But that doesn't mean we can't try to coerce events to meet our needs, son."

"Okay. If that's the way you want it." Yuna stifled a yawn and began to walk towards the left side of the dock where the _Minerva_ was in the final stages of being berthed. "Let's go welcome our Princess and her saviors."

Morgenrate crews maneuvered an iron walkway to the edge of the dock so it could reach the _Minerva's_ main access hatch on port side of the ship. Two crewmen on the inside of the hull secured the walkway with steel chains. Cagalli and the others behind her waited until the men communicated to them that the walkway was secure. Cagalli was the first onto the walkway and the sense of relief that flooded through her body was immense. Her feet clanged against the iron beneath her and she kept her expression as emotionless as possible as she made her way over to the dock where many Orb military personnel, Morgenrate technicians, and Orb government personnel awaited. She was home.

Cagalli led Athrun, Talia, and Arthur in that order across the walkway to the dock. There were two Orb soldiers on either side of the base of the walkway saluting her as she approached. Behind the soldiers, there was a small gap before the group of officials led by Unato and Yuna. Cagalli stopped and placed her arms at her sides. "Welcome home, Princess Athha," Unato said in his husky voice. He and the others behind him bowed gracefully from the waist up. "We're glad to see you home safely."

"Thank you very much, Prime Minister."

"The citizens are very grateful for everything you've done over the past few days, Princess. You should be proud of yourself."

"Thank you." Cagalli turned her blonde head slightly to the left where Yuna was. "Good to see you again, Yuna."

She stiffened when she felt Yuna throw his arms around her shoulders. "Cagalli…I'm glad you're safe." Cagalli flushed. She tried to cast a quick glance behind her at Athrun and the others, but as far as she could tell they weren't impressed. However, when her gaze left that direction, Athrun immediately frowned. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yes…I'm okay…Y-Yuna…"

"I'm so glad."

"Come now, Yuna. I know how you feel, but this really isn't the place," Unato informed him. "Can't you tell that the ZAFT crew is uncomfortable?" Athrun looked at Talia and found that she was looking at Arthur, who only shrugged his shoulders and hummed out the syllables to "I don't know."

Yuna released Cagalli and said, "I'm sorry if I made you uneasy, Cagalli. You understand, right."

"Uh…yeah." She spoke to Unato. "I-I'm sorry that I couldn't be here during this crucial time, Unato. I thank you for taking care of things while I was away. When you get the chance, please update me on the situation with casualties and damages."

"We'll leave the complicated matters for later," Unato said in a hushed voice. He pushed his orange sunglasses further up his nose. "As it stands now, areas along the shore were damaged by the high waves, but fortunately there were no direct hits within Orb itself." He glanced at his son, then at Talia. "Yuna."

Yuna's face snapped to the right. He smiled. "Oh, how rude of me. Welcome to Orb. I'm Representative Yuna Roma Seiran of the Orb Ruling Council."

Talia saluted. "I'm Talia Gladys, Captain of the ZAFT Forces ship _Minerva_."

Arthur did the same. "Arthur Trine, Executive Officer of the same."

Unato nodded to them. "I am Unato Ema Seiran, Prime Minister of the Orb Union."

"We cannot express how grateful we are to you for bringing our Chief Representative back safely," Yuna added.

"Thank you. Though what happened was unexpected, we regret very much that Representative Athha had to go through all that trouble."

"It's okay," Cagalli said quickly. "It wasn't too troublesome."

"We'd also like to express our condolences for your losses from the recent tragedy."

"I appreciate your thoughtfulness," Unato said.

"We all do," Yuna repeated. "As for the ship, you're more than welcome to rest here for the time being. I understand your situation. Your crew must be extremely exhausted."

"Thank you very much."

"On that note, we should make our way to the administrative meeting, Representative," Unato told Cagalli. She nodded. "I'm sorry to have to insist on this immediately upon your return, but there are many things we must report to you."

"Yes, I know."

As Cagalli started to walk with Unato, Athrun closed his eyes and sighed. "Alex." His green eyes blinked open. Yuna, who hadn't moved to follow his father and Cagalli yet, was gesturing for him to come next to him. Athrun did so, even though he still held some reservations about Yuna. Yuna spoke in a hushed voice so that only he and Athrun could hear. "I want to thank you for bringing Cagalli back safely."

Athrun didn't look at him. "It was my job. I protected her to the extent of my abilities."

"More so," Yuna corrected. "That's exactly why I wanted you to accompany her on this voyage in the first place. I know you'd put your life on the line to protect Cagalli without a thought against it." Athrun failed to respond. "I owe you big time for this, Athrun. Get some rest and submit your report on this later. But keep in mind that we may need you down the line if the situation gets any worse."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

"Thank you." Yuna rushed off to join Cagalli. Athrun waited until he was gone and then turned to face Talia and Arthur. He saluted. "Thank you for everything, Captain Gladys."

"Thank _you_…Athrun Zala." Athrun nodded. For the next several minutes, he silently maneuvered his way through the crowds on the dock until he reached the point where the stones met the pavement. There was a car waiting for him there with the driver holding the door open for him. Athrun scooted into the back-seat and folded his hands in his lap. When the door shut beside him, Athrun let out a long sigh. That had gone better than he had expected, even though the sight of Yuna and Cagalli hugging wouldn't leave his mind. He sat in silence as the car headed into the city.

Back on the dock, Unato and Cagalli, plus Yuna who had caught up to them after his conversation with Athrun, were making their way patiently towards their waiting limousines at the end of the dock. They noticed the _Kusanagi_ finishing its berthing process on the other side of the dock from the _Minerva_ and they stopped for a moment to watch. As the hatches opened, Mwu was the first to emerge, bounding down the iron steps at a brisk pace, with Jackson and Josh struggling to keep up behind him.

Unato bowed his head towards the General as he reached the bottom of the stairs and began to walk towards them. "Welcome home, General Vernes. We owe you much…" He never got to finish, for Mwu was already walking past him. His eyes never once took in the sight of the Prime Minister, or Cagalli for that matter. His gaze remained fixed ahead of him and he continued his determined walk up the dock. Cagalli sighed uneasily as she watched Mwu disappear into the throng of people.

"What's wrong with him?" Yuna wondered out loud.

"Let him be. We'll see him at the Cabinet meeting later this morning." Unato tilted his glasses and looked at the spot where Mwu had blended in with the crowd. Things weren't go to be any easier with a man like that in charge of the space fleet.

Mwu pushed aside workers and other people along his trek up towards the end of the dock. Instead of heading through the wide open doors at the dock's end however, he rerouted his walk in the direction of an entranceway beneath an observation tower that leaned over the far end of the dock. There were few people inside the lobby. _Good_, Mwu thought. He was trying to be as inconspicuous as possible for at least the next half hour until he had to proceed to the government offices for his briefing on the incident. With less people around, he would have a better chance of achieving his goal. He signaled an elevator and stepped inside the cramped space when it arrived in the lobby.

Above on the enclosed observation deck, Murrue looked upon the scene unfolding below her with arms folded across her chest. Unato and Yuna led Cagalli across the dock and into the waiting cars, which then sped off to places that Murrue couldn't see. Those two didn't look any better in person than the people Mwu had described when he'd come home from meetings with them. She could only wonder what affect they had on Cagalli, who had to deal with them both regularly. Beside her, Andy stood silently, his body supported by a wooden cane positioned beneath his right hand. "Brash young fella, isn't he?" he commented on Yuna.

"Yes. But I wonder what their true intentions are," Murrue said aloud. "Seiran has always favored the Atlantic Federation."

"And with the position they're probably taking, even with Cagalli's return, it doesn't look terribly optimistic," Andy finished.

"You're right."

There was an audible ping to their left. Murrue smiled as Mwu emerged from the elevator at full stride, heading straight for her. "Welcome home."

"I heard about it this morning. I made the crew get here quicker so I could see you." He enveloped her slender figure in a fierce embrace, which she returned with an equal amount of vigor. It had been almost three weeks since they'd seen one another. It was worth the wait. He pressed his lips to hers and felt how sweet and warm they were; just as they were when he'd left. "Are you alright?"

"Yes."

"Desmond?"

"He's fine. He slept through most of it," she told him. "Our home was pretty badly damaged though."

"Who cares about that," Mwu whispered. "You and Desmond are okay and that's all that matters to me." He kissed her again. He glanced at Andy. "I owe you big time Andy."

"Don't worry about it."

"Screw that! You saved my wife and kid! I owe you more than I own."

"I didn't save them," Andy chuckled. "Murrue did fine by herself. I just happened to be there, that was it."

They watched the people scuttle along below them for a few moments. "Any idea who they were?" Mwu asked either of them.

Andy shrugged. "Not a clue as of yet. We only know a few things for certain: they were Coordinator Special Ops and they had highly advanced mobile suits at their disposal."

"If it hadn't been for Kira, we probably would've all been dead," Murrue confirmed.

"The kid wasn't too upset that we restored the Freedom, was he?"

"If he was, he didn't show it," Andy said. "Though I could tell that he knew it was there before he saw it. He's got some sort of bond with that thing that I can't explain."

"Yeah, I noticed that too." In the years since he'd met Kira, Mwu had noticed that the young man seemed to bond with the mobile suits he piloted and developed a sort of relationship with them. It was weird, but Mwu had to admit that it served Kira well in that regard. "But you said they were after Lacus, right?"

"Yes. For what reason we don't know, but their intentions were clear. They were there to kill Lacus…" Murrue said darkly. None of them could find anything to say after that.

_**-Orb Ministers' Official Residence, 1200.**_

"What did you say!?" Cagalli's loud pronouncement startled the entire meeting room of the Orb Ruling Council into silence. She was standing at the end of a long oval table with her hands firmly gripping the smooth edges of the darkened wood finish.

At the opposite end of the table, Unato pushed back his glasses. "It's _not_ a foregone conclusion. All I'm saying is that we're _considering_ it."

"Even still…you're considering a new alliance treaty with the Atlantic Federation? Why in the first place and why at a time like this…?"

"Cagalli…" Yuna warned quietly.

"Right now, our top priority should be to send immediate aid to the disaster areas!" Cagalli continued.

"It's precisely because of the disaster itself that this must be done," Unato said. Cagalli took a step back. Unato folded his hands in front of him and laid them on the table. "If you'll read the fine print that's been presented, it is _not_ a treaty with the Atlantic Federation." Cagalli glanced down at the simple looking document in front of her with three paragraphs of small black print. "While it's true that the proposal is coming from the Atlantic Federation itself, the treaty itself will join all nations worldwide."

"What?"

"There are policies included within the treaty concerning assistance and aid to the disaster areas."

"Which is the reason why we're considering the treaty in the first place," Yuna finished. He placed his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair. His eyes were transfixed on the ceiling. "The world will stand a better chance of getting back on its feet if all nations work together in aiding the devastated areas."

Cagalli paused. "But…then why weren't the PLANTs sent a copy of the treaty…they're a sovereign nation themselves after all."

Unato sighed. "There's more than likely a good reason for that." He added quietly, staring directly across the table at Cagalli. "Let's just say that the affected areas aren't exactly pleased with the PLANTs at this time."

"What…w-what do you mean?"

The Representative on Cagalli's right pressed something on a monitor in front of him. He then turned it so that the screen was facing her. "Take a look at this, Chief Representative."

Cagalli's golden eyes widened slowly as each picture was displayed before her on the monitor. The photos consisted of Junius Seven before its fall to Earth, of the mysterious dark-colored GINNs that fought to stop the demolition, and even more shocking to Cagalli, an image of two flare motors attached to the underbelly of the devastated PLANT. She hadn't seen that before. She doubted that the _Minerva_ had as well. It only served to confirm her fears however; those GINNs _had_ been directly connected to Junius Seven's descent from orbit.

She balled her hands into fists and stared down at the table as the last photos disappeared from the monitor. "With your being aboard a ZAFT ship for some time, it may be difficult for you to comprehend the overall picture of what we're facing," Unato began, "but the casualties Earth suffered are far greater than words can express."

"The first estimate on the number of casualties was over two million," Yuna added darkly, almost in a whisper. He placed his hands on the table in front of him and added, "This much destruction has never been seen before. Even the events of the war weren't as bad and widespread as this."

"Everyone living on Earth already knows about the photos you just saw," Unato said. That didn't make Cagalli feel any better.

"I-if I may ask…where did these images come from?" _Who am I kidding_? Cagalli knew it was obvious. The unidentified warship that the _Minerva_ had encountered at Armory One, the debris belt, and at Junius Seven was the only other ship that could have possibly taken the photos and transmitted them back to Earth. _So they _were_ with the Earth Forces…_

"The information came from the Atlantic Federation," Yuna elaborated. "And the PLANTs have more or less acknowledged that these images reflect what happened. Since you were there yourself, you must have known this to be true as well."

"Y-yes. But…the photos clearly show that the ZAFT forces weren't trying to help those GINNs. Chairman Dullindal and the _Minerva _crew…they fought and destroyed them all and tried to stop Junius Seven from falling."

"You're correct. Everyone in the world acknowledges the fact that the _Minerva_, _Kusanagi_, and the _Nazca's_ all attempted to crush Junius Seven before it entered Earth's orbit." Yuna glanced directly at her. "But what are we supposed to tell the tens of millions who have been affected by this calamity? Something like, 'You people have experienced great anguish, but forgive the terrorists because Earth was saved'?" Cagalli bit her lip. "Show her," Yuna told the Representative with the monitor.

Cagalli watched as another batch of images were played out before her eyes. These images contained scenes from hospitals, or tents which were serving as hospitals, in the devastated areas around the world. There were countless amounts of people with stitches, broken bones, torn ligaments, fractures, lacerations, and even greater injuries. There were also loved ones weeping over the severely injured, including a mother clutching her heavily bandaged child in his bed. "Many people are already assuming that the PLANTs were directly responsible for the disaster," Yuna continued. Cagalli saw a picture of a large group of people waving signs and banners in the middle of metropolitan Washington D.C. Many of their expressions didn't look to be on the forgiving side.

"But…many of these locations are within the Atlantic Federation itself," Cagalli pointed out.

"It's not just them, though. Australia and the Far East are also visibly upset over this discovery. Right now there is not one person on Earth who is willing to simply forgive them after seeing this." Unato was very persuasive. "Fortunately, Orb was able to escape with relatively minor damage. That's all the more reason why we must choose our next steps very carefully. Ideals are important, but right now it is more important that you think about with whom we should be sharing these feelings of pain?"

"We're merely attempting to decide what would be the best course of action to keep Orb and our people safe," Yuna said firmly. "That's our main concern at this point."

Before Cagalli could respond, a buzzer in front of Unato's chair sounded. He pushed the button and a faceless voice spoke to him. "General Vernes and the others have arrived, Representative."

"Send them in."

Mwu was leading the entourage as it was escorted into the chamber by several of the Representatives' guards. Behind him, Jackson had to duck his head at the doorway in order to enter the room, and Mitch appeared like a kid stuffed into the confines of a Commander's uniform. Neither of them looked particularly eager to be there, but that was expected; military commanders and politicians hardly ever saw eye to eye and the policies both factions had to follow were very different.

You couldn't tell that the rift between the two was evident when several Representatives, including Yuna stood and began to applaud them as they entered. Cagalli could see each of the three glance at each other uneasily. _They don't think they deserve this, _she observed.

Unato managed to calm down the applause. He spoke to them. "You have no idea how much our people are in debited to you and your men, General." Mwu's lips thinned as he pressed them together. "Without the _Kusanagi's_ actions, it is unlikely that many of we be here today to thank you."

"Thank you…" Mwu said quietly. "But…that thanks is really being misplaced. The _Minerva_ and her pilots were the ones that did most of the work to crush Junius Seven. We…were mostly there just to help _them_ crush _it_."

"Nevertheless. You still were there and tried to stop it. The world is thankful for that fact at least." Unato took his seat and directed the others, including Cagalli, to do the same. "We'll wait to hear your report, General."

"Yes, sir."

The lights in the chamber began to dim and at the end behind Unato, a holographic imager rose up from out of the floor. Mwu stepped back and allowed the images to settle into place. The hologram consisted of a large, blue sphere to represent the Earth, a massive, unruly, hour-shaped object to represent Junius Seven, and several small red and blue dots to represent the _Kusanagi_ and the others warships that had tried to stop it.

Mwu cleared his throat. "We were alerted to Junius Seven's apparent descent out of its orbit at approximately 0400 on the morning of the 3rd. At that time, we were in the process of maintaining our position with the _Minerva_ which had transporting Chief Representative Athha ever since the Armory One incident the day before, which you'll be able to find in the documents being provided to you. It was Director Crue of the Intelligence Department that alerted me to the immediate threat that morning." Mwu nodded towards the Intelligence chief and former helmsman of the _Archangel_ during the last war, who was standing off to the side, dressed impeccably in a black dress suit and tie. "Once we were informed of the situation and after we had been in contact with the _Minerva_, I made the decision to proceed forward to Junius Seven. My reasons for doing so were because we were in range to try and stop it from descending, and that our previous mission to protect the Chief Representative would not be compromised by doing so."

Mwu stopped to take a breath. He waited for the images to zoom in on Junius Seven before continuing. "During the lull before we reached Junius Seven, we discussed options that were available to us on how we could stop Junius Seven from falling. However, by the time we reached the estimated descent point, it was very clear that it _could not_ be diverted from its descent. Our only alternative at that point was to assist the _Minerva_ and ZAFT's plan to destroy the object before it reached the atmosphere. It was at this point that I decided that the _Kusanagi's_ mobile suit team, consisting of sixteen M1 Astray models, would be deployed to support the demolition units from the ZAFT warships. Commander Howell and I led the force to Junius Seven. We arrived shortly after the original ZAFT mobile suits had and when we got there, we found them already engaged in combat with enemy mobile suits of unknown origin. We engaged them in combat and two of our mobile suits were shot down. Although the ZAFT forces were successful in cutting Junius Seven in half, it became apparent that the mobile suits had done all they could, because the Junius Seven had reached the edge of the atmosphere at that point. It was at that time that I made the decision to make the descent to Earth. Our mobile suits returned to the _Kusanagi_ where Captain Jackson then prepared the ship for descent alongside the _Minerva_,who we were informed, would be descending as well, but their purpose was to continue crushing the object in the atmosphere with their main cannon. Said operation was put into effect and Junius Seven was reduced to mere fragments of its former self. At that point, we had reached the dangerous phase of descent and could do no more. From that moment on, the ship was braced for descent and we landed in the Pacific Ocean at approximately 2300 on the night of the 3rd. From there, we rendezvoused with the _Minerva_ and returned to Orb this morning." Mwu allowed the holograms to disappear and the rooms lighting slowly turned back on. "That concludes my report."

Unato nodded. "That has been the account that has been accepted by many of the citizens of Earth. In the eyes of many, you men are nothing short of heroes."

Mwu gulped. "We're thankful for their praise…however; it still doesn't change the fact that the _Minerva_ did most of the work."

"Yes, we understand that." Unato's tone was that of someone who wanted to get on with something more important. "How long until repairs on the _Kusanagi_ will be complete?"

"Unknown at this time, sir," Jackson responded. He hadn't said a word since he'd entered the chamber. His figure towered over everything inside the room. "Best estimates are about four to five weeks."

"Very well. She'll be able to take part in future operations quickly then." At the other end of the table, Cagalli sat with her arms at her sides, trying to look as professional as possible. It was difficult, however. She could tell that it was equally difficult for Mwu as well, because the only reason he was doing this was to give his growing family a safe place to live. She also knew that Unato and he weren't exactly the best of friends. Unato had been one of few to oppose allowing the _Archangel_ crewmen refuge in Orb. And she also knew that with Unato's favoritism towards the Atlantic Federation and the Earth Forces that Mwu would instantly object to anything having to do with them. To herself, Cagalli believed that if Unato could do anything to get Mwu out of command, he would. "Concerning those future operations, it's customary that we inform the hierarchy of the military of our newest proposition that we're considering."

"Yes, sir."

"We were drafted a proposition yesterday…" Cagalli's eyes began to slowly widen as it struck her. _Oh no…_ The Atlantic Federation's proposal of alliance, which Orb appeared to be looking to join. Mwu would go ballistic if he found out about it, as would everyone else who had taken refuge in Orb, which is exactly what Unato would want. She opened her mouth to stop Unato, but it was too late. "…the Atlantic Federation is offering us a treaty of allegiance. It concerns the distribution of aid to the disaster areas and future plans for other unification of the nations of Earth. I'd like to hear your initial reactions to this."

Cagalli looked at Mwu. He appeared on the outside to be taking the news rather well. On the inside however, Cagalli knew that the instant Unato had uttered the words Atlantic Federation and alliance, Mwu's stomach had turned itself inside out. With the entire room of Representatives' eyes now upon him, Mwu did his best to try and hold the building anger within himself. The things the Atlantic Federation and the Earth Forces had done to him…set him up to be killed over Cuba…set-up his friends and the ones he loved to die…killed his best friend…killed the closest thing he ever had to a father…and had nearly killed him. His fists balled themselves slowly into fists. He'd been humiliated, betrayed, set-up, beaten, and nearly killed countless times by the Atlantic Federation, all for their own selfish goals. And now he was being asked to join forces with them? _Don't do it, don't do it…_Cagalli silently begged him. _Please don't do it!_

Mwu closed his eyes and opened his mouth as if to speak. "Pardon my interruption General." Mwu blinked open his eyes and glanced slightly to his left, where Jackson stood seemingly emotionless. "But…with all due respect Mr. Prime Minister…myself and many of my crew were witness to many of the atrocities committed during the last war…including the massacre of our own citizens at the Gyndana colony. Those memories and feelings haven't left us. Based on that…it would more than likely be next to…impossible, for myself…and my crew…to be forced to work with those same people that committed those acts." Jackson's lone remaining eye closed. "However, I acknowledge that that is not my decision to make. Neither is it any of my crew's. It is your decision as the Representatives of the Orb Union to decide what would be the best course of action for the nation I so gallantly serve. And I will allow _you_…to make that decision." There was a period of silence. Cagalli sighed thankfully inside of her mind. _He may have just saved Mwu's neck_… Jackson glanced down at his superior officer, who had the look on his face that seemed to say, thank you.

"Your words speak volumes to me, Captain," Yuna said, breaking the silence. "They reflect the feelings that we have as well. We ourselves were witness to many atrocities committed during the last war…we understand your feelings." He sounded sincere, which surprised Cagalli. "However, you yourselves have to know that time has passed. This is a new time and a new place. Maybe its time we moved on…I know it sounds impossible…but it's happened before, where people who were sworn enemies have forgiven each other and learned to work with one another. For Orb's sake…perhaps it's time we let those memories go. I also emphasize to you that nothing has been finalized as of yet. We're currently watching world events to play out before we make our final decision. If you would merely consider the proposal, it would be greatly appreciated by everyone."

Mwu nodded. "I will do that, sir."

"Thank you." Yuna turned to face Cagalli. "Cagalli?"

She nodded. "Thank you for your report, General Vernes. Captain Jackson. Commander Howell. I think it's time we moved on to other matters, Yuna."

"I agree."

He glanced at Unato. "Yes. It's time we moved on." The meeting continued on for several more hours, but the level of intensity and debate was never the same.

_**-Morgenrate Dock A, 1230.**_

As Morgenrate technicians and personnel began to swarm over the hull of the _Minerva_, now propped up in the shipyard's main dry-dock, Talia, Arthur, and Aves spoke quietly to one another on the dock. "Number two and three engines are going to need to be recoated with sealer and we'll have to mount new bearings onto the starboard Tristan. Other than that it appears that the ship's only problems lie on the inside with the computer banks and the relays to the consoles at various points inside the ship." Aves flipped up a page on his clipboard and scanned the next one. "Yep, that's about it. Therefore it shouldn't take us very long to repair the ship, but we could also take this time to update the computer mechanisms that we didn't have a chance to before we left Armory One."

"Yes, that's okay. We should be fine if we leave the ship's hull to Morgenrate," Talia informed him. "But you should handle all the interior repairs, Chief."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"They've offered us whatever material and machinery we need so focus on doing a perfect job."

"We will do that, Captain."

"How's the crew's morale, Arthur?"

"It varies, but for the most part it's good." Arthur shrugged. "Although with the ship grounded here for a while, they may get restless."

"Give them some downtime then?"

"That would be my guess."

"We'll see what happens for the rest of the day." Talia glanced around at the technicians now swarming over the _Minerva's_ hull. Mixed within them were scattered members of the crew, observing the Orb workers. "I feel that many of them are a little uneased to be in a new nation like this. They probably have never been outside of the PLANTs or their controlled territories."

"It is a beautiful nation, though," Arthur admitted.

"Yes."

He tugged at his uniform jacket's collar. "A little bit on the warm side, though. It really wouldn't hurt to have some downtime."

Talia smiled. "You may be right. Shall I put on record that you made the suggestion?"

"No, that's fine," Arthur laughed.

An ordinary brown jeep was coming down the dock towards them. There was a brown haired woman in a baseball cap, wearing a t-shirt, jeans, and a red jacket tied around her waist, sitting in the passenger seat while a scruffy looking man with a black pony-tail in a technicians' jumpsuit was in the driver's seat. "That must the one they said they'd be sending," Arthur said to Talia.

The jeep stopped a few feet in front of their feet and the occupants began to exit the vehicle. The technicians had said that Morgenrate would be sending one of their top people to supervise the repairs to the _Minerva_. As the woman drew closer to them, Talia studied her face and was surprised to find out that she had seen the woman's face before. This was the woman who had been in the photo General la Flaga had shown them.

"Welcome to Dock A. I trust you've already gotten to know the surroundings."

"You're the supervisor I take it?" Talia asked.

"Yes. I'm Maria Vernes of Shipbuilding Division B. I'm in charge of the work being done on your ship." She extended a gloved hand to Talia.

"Glad to meet you. I'm Captain Talia Gladys," she responded, grasping Murrue's hand within her own and giving it a firm shake.

"This is Mr. Kojiro Murdoch. He will be in charge of the repair duties themselves."

"Hello. You should acquaint yourself with our ship's chief mechanic then. Aves?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Take Murdoch and show him what needs to be done."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Arthur, go give Roland his break. Maintain command until I return."

"Yes, Captain."

As the others made their own way, Murrue said to Talia, "I'll show you to one of our observation platforms. You'll be able to watch the work being done on your ship from there."

"Thank you." She followed Murrue. _She's in the same position as the General. I wonder how many others there are like here in this nation._

Aves took Murdoch up to the ship's rear deck and showed him the areas of the main engines that would need repair. "Looks like you blew the anti-blister coating completely away," Murdoch observed in his rough voice. "Then again, a descent like the one you made will do that to a ship."

"I was surprised how little damage there actually was though," Aves admitted.

"Well it's not only the ship itself that can prevent serious damage on re-entry. You have to have a capable crew that knows how to run a ship like this. If the crew's not up to the challenge, the ship might not be able to fly again. If it is, you'll only end up with a scratch." Murdoch glanced around panoramically to take in the entire dock. "Based on the damages you've shown me, I think you have a pretty good crew on your hands."

"We try."

"Now then, you said you just wanted us to take care of the hull?"

"Yes. The Captain wants us to handle the interior repairs. There are technologies inside that ZAFT wouldn't necessarily appreciate the rest of the world knowing about."

"I understand." Murdoch himself had been in the exact some position Aves was now in during the last war. The _Archangel_ after all was a newly launched ship as well. "We'll get right to work then."

"Thank you. Hey, is that the new TRS-90 model?" Murdoch plucked up the data module off of his utility belt and tossed it in his hand.

"Yep. Newest way to monitor repairs to a ship. You can document every repair you need and follow the progress until it's complete."

"Nice."

"I'm surprised you don't have one." Aves was surprised when Murdoch tossed the module to him. He tried to speak, but Murdoch responded, "I've got plenty more. Take it as a goodwill gesture." Aves smiled. Maybe remaining in Orb for repairs wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Murrue led Talia up a flight of stairs to a metal gangway leaning over the dock. They were at a height directly comparable to the _Minerva's_ bridge, which gave them a perfect view of the ship. "You're the General's wife aren't you?" Talia asked as they walked along the gangway.

Murrue smiled. "He told you about me, did he?" Talia smiled and nodded in a friendly manner. "Yes, I'm his wife."

"He invited us aboard the _Kusanagi_ on our way here. He is a very nice man." Talia was careful not to mention the fact that she knew who the General really was.

"Yes, he is." They walked to the end of the gangway and stopped before a gray metal railing. "I heard that the _Minerva_ hasn't been officially launched yet. But it appears to already have a lot of history to it."

"Yes. Unfortunately." Talia pushed a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. "I never expected anything close to what we went through, but I guess it can't be helped. What's happened has happened."

Murrue nodded. She'd been through the exact same thing herself. "That's the spirit!"

Talia laughed. "It's true of everything; you really don't know what awaits you in the future. I feel even more strongly about that right now."

"I agree. One minute you think you have everything figured out and the next you find you don't know a thing." Murrue leaned over the railing and crossed her arms. "I should know. But then again, those unexpected turns are usually more enjoyable for you. They take you places you never dreamed you'd go. And you'll meet people you never thought you would, but you end up loving them more than you did anything before." Talia closed her eyes and smiled. She thought of her Gordon. Two years before he was born, she was an unruly 22-year old fresh out of college, running through life without a care in the world. She thought she had everything. But then when she gave birth to her son, she realized that everything she had had before was nothing compared to him. He suddenly became her life, her treasure, her meaning. She didn't expect to have him, and yet she loved him more than anything else in the world.

"I know what you mean."

"So you have children too?" Murrue inquired. It was as if she had been reading Talia's mind.

Talia nodded. "I have a five-year old son."

"We have more in common than we know," Murrue said. Talia agreed.

After a while, during which they had watched silently as trucks and other vehicles brought supplies to the dock, and crews scramble to make repairs to the _Minerva, _Talia got back to the serious side of their current affair. "I'm guessing that right now Orb isn't really in a position to be lending a hand with repairs to a ZAFT ship. Am I right?"

Murrue eyed her suspiciously, but then regained her optimistic expression. "Well, you may be right about that. But it's just as you said. We don't know what awaits us in the future. So right now, we can only do what we believe to be the right thing at this moment." Talia nodded in agreement. "And if we learn later that it was a mistake, we'll cry and pout about it then, and then think about what needs to be done next."

_How have I never met this woman before? She's my exact double almost._ Talia merely smiled. "Yes, I guess so."

_**-Orb Government Offices, 1700.**_

_Some things never change._ As Athrun exited the brown brick office building that served as a government exclusive facility, he kept contemplating how debriefings never seemed to change no matter what nation you were a part of. They were always rather dull and boring where only a few certain individuals would do the talking and everyone else would be forced to sit there and watch and occasionally offer an "mm" or an "ah" to show that they were at least paying attention. Several hours of debriefing could easily erode a person's psyche and Athrun's was no exception. Fortunately enough for him, Cagalli had managed to find him a remedy for such erosion.

The well-dressed valet standing on the curb next to the hemi-circle shaped parkway that led up to the building offered him a smile as Athrun trotted down the gray stone stairs. "Newly shined and serviced, as requested, Mr. Zala."

Athrun stopped just short of the curb, so he could take in the sight of the beautiful, sleek, jet black convertible. Six speeds, 190 miles per hour, six-shift transmission, leather seats, radio equipped with portable music player; these were just the accessories that went with the car. "Fabulous," was the only word Athrun had to mutter to describe the automobile.

Once the doors were locked and he was firmly settled into the driver's seat, Athrun wasted no time veering out of the parkway and onto the main roads of the bustling city. The standard rush hour traffic jams delayed his flight for a period of time, but Athrun didn't care. Anything was better than sitting in a debriefing room for five hours listening to people who thought they knew what combat was like give him lectures on what he did right and wrong. _They make Yzak look like an easy-come, easy-go kind of guy._

Eventually, the traffic cleared and Athrun worked the steering wheel around a tightly wound entrance ramp and onto the four-lane freeway that would take him out of the city and into the more scenic parts of Orb's western coast. He was careful with the car's clutch; these kinds of cars had a delicate set of pedals and if one pushed to hard it would severely alter the car's performance levels. The gear shift moved with his hand as if it were a part of him and soon he was racing along at approximately seventy-five miles an hour, the black asphalt taking the form of a long, winding string of black carpeting with occasionally white and yellow lines painted down the middle of it. The engine hummed quietly beneath the hood while he kept the speed constant. The relative quiet of the country road allowed him a chance to think.

His eyes remained transfixed on the road ahead of him as Athrun began to scavenge through the mazes of his mind. Events of the past week came back to him, from piloting the ZAKU at Armory One and fending off the stolen GUNDAMs, to descending to Earth along with Junius Seven. If anyone had told him this would be how his week would have gone when it began, Athrun would have laughed. But that was his life now. As the war had taught him, you were never certain where the next day or hour would take you. You had to be prepared for the unexpected twists and turns of life. If you weren't, then you risked doing insurmountable damage to yourself and those you cared about.

The road took a gradual turn to the right, running at the base of a rocky terrace with only a stone guardrail separating the road from the sharp drop down to the sea below. Athrun eased off on the accelerator slightly as he made the turn. At his slower speed, he was able to look down upon the white sand beach that ran alongside the road once it leveled off in its elevation. The guardrail disappeared and gave him a perfect view of the coast, with the sun gradually dipping towards the horizon, but spending its last few hours of the day shinning brightly. As his eyes scanned the beach, Athrun saw a group of figures standing near the shore. There were two taller figures among several small framed children. Athrun could identify them as one male and one female. When he noticed the long pink hair of the female, his green eyes immediately pointed towards the male. There was no mistaking it. _Lacus! Kira!_

Athrun slowly brought the car to a halt on the left shoulder of the road and slid the gear lever into the park position. He opened the door and extended one foot outside onto the hot pavement, while he honked the car's high-pitched horn with his right hand. On the sand below him, the eyes of the young children immediately snapped to the location the sound had come from. He saw their faces light up when they saw him step completely out of the car. The children began to run towards him with Lacus and Kira following behind at a slower walk. The young ones made quick work of the wooden staircase that had been assembled to allow access to the beach and made their way towards him.

"Athrun!"

"No, he's Alex!"

"You were away somewhere right?"

"Where did you go?"

"Athrun," Kira called out to him. He and Lacus ascended the stairs side by side. The children parted ways and allowed Kira a lane to come up to Athrun. He extended his hand and grasped his friend's firmly. "It's nice to see you again."

"You too, Kira. Lacus."

"Welcome back. That was quite the trip," Lacus said kindly.

Athrun smiled willingly. He hadn't had much of a chance to all day. "I hear you had quite the time, too. I hear the house was washed away and you moved over here-."

"Yeah, our home is gone!"

"We didn't see it, but these big waves came and smashed it apart!"

"Then our new house got blown up by these big green monsters!"

"They were mobile suits!"

"Now we're staying at another house until our new home is built!"

Lacus tried to get the children to settle down, but it was having little effect on their enthusiasm. "Oh my," she said pleasantly. "We can't even get a conversation going."

Eventually, Lacus managed to have to children follow her and gave both Athrun and Kira some space. "You're staying with Colonel and Director Barkhesh now, right?"

"Yeah. The Colonel saved us last night and he and Mrs. Natarle were nice enough to let us stay with them."

"Even with her condition?"

"That was the part that surprised me," Kira admitted. "Where's Cagalli?" he asked, as his green pet Torii made a soft landing on his right shoulder.

"At an administrative meeting. I imagine she's got a ton of work."

Lacus called out to them from the beach. "Kira, go ahead! I'll bring the children back from the beach later!" Bidding her and the children a goodbye wave, the two boys settled into the lavish car's seats and Athrun sent the car along the road at high speeds.

After settling into a good pace, Athrun asked, "I hear that Orb didn't suffer that much damage from the drop, did it?"

"No, it wasn't that bad. Apparently a lot of the small islands around the nation acted as a breakwater for the waves, so when they reached the mainland they weren't too terrible."

"Good. By the way, everyone knows by now what really caused that thing to fall, right?" Kira glanced at him. Athrun wasn't smiling anymore. He was being dead serious. Kira nodded. "One of those pilots told me, 'Why have you forgotten the sorrow of the lives mercilessly thrown away here?! Why do you live in a fabricated world, laughing with those who caused this?!'" The way he was talking, he sounded hurt.

Kira paused. "You fought?"

Athrun rounded a bend to the right and waited until they reached another straight stretch of road before responding. "I went to Junius Seven to help with the demolition work, and there they were. They were determined to drop that thing onto Earth no matter what it took." Athrun's tone was grim. "What about you? I heard that you piloted the Freedom again when those guys tried to assassinate Lacus." Mwu had told him about it that morning.

He could hear Kira sigh quietly. "I did."

"Do you know who they were?"

Kira shook his head. "They were Coordinators…they were very highly trained…and they were equipped with state of the art weapons and mobile suits."

Athrun frowned. "You think that ZAFT sent them, don't you?" Kira narrowed his eyes, but didn't respond. His expression was enough to let Athrun know what Kira thought about the assassination attempt. "Don't jump to conclusions when you actually know so little about the situation," he warned. "We'll find out more information as time passes."

"It won't help that they all killed themselves," Kira added. "Plus, we've had to cover it up and say that it was all a gas line explosion…so there won't be an investigation."

"Did they buy it?"

"They don't have much of a choice."

Athrun blinked. "I may be able to find some answers for you guys. Let me handle it, alright Kira?" After a brief moment, Kira nodded his approval.

The road now narrowed down to one lane in each direction and Athrun slowed as they entered a more densely populated residential area. The tone of his voice also slowed down. "Kira. Remember that time; here on Orb…do you remember what I asked you? I asked what should we really be fighting against, and how? Then you said, we can all look for that answer together." His hands tightened their grip on the steering wheel. "But…I still haven't found the answer."

Kira's gaze had remained forward throughout the entire soliloquy. "There's still time." Athrun rolled to a halt at a stop sign and looked to his right at Kira. "There's still time for us to discover the answer." Athrun paused for a moment and then accelerated out of the stop. They drove on for another hour in relative silence, only bothering to chat every once in a while about more peaceful things. It seemed as if they both were unsure of the answer to the question they had been searching for. It was also apparent that they both still wanted to find the answer.

_**-Minerva, 1900.**_

After the raucous of the past few days, the freshly squeezed grape juice was undeniably soothing to Lunamaria's throat as she gulped down the concoction. Many of the crew situated inside the _Minerva's_ main lounge were also taking the opportunity to relax and enjoy themselves for once. Yolant and Vino were taking part in a card game of some sort with Rey watching intently on the side, while Meyrin was sprawled out on her back on one of the lounge's sofas.

"So how long do you think we'll be docked here?" Vino asked, in the middle of selecting which part of his hand to discard.

"It depends. How long until the repairs are complete?" Yolant said to Rey.

Rey's expression indicated that he was deep in thought. "I wouldn't guess more than two weeks," he said simply. "The ship wasn't badly damaged, so it won't take very long to complete repairs."

"But the Captain said she didn't want to rush things," Lunamaria pointed out. "She wants the ship to be in top shape when we depart."

"So we'll be here for a little while then." Following an extensive calculation, Vino selected a card and laid it on top of the scattered pile already in the center of the table.

"That'll give us time to do some fun things around here then," Yolant said.

"Like what?" Vino wondered out loud.

"He means the chance the Captain will authorize disembarkation," Rey finished.

"Huh?" Meyrin sat straight up with her hands on her thighs. Her smile looked hopeful. "Really?"

Yolant took the top card from the pile and laid one of his down in its place. Vino appeared confused by the move at the other end of the table. Yolant cocked his head backwards towards the red-headed, pig-tailed girl. "Well, I can't say fro sure yet. I'm just thinking, if we're gonna be here for a few days with repairs, there's a possibility that we'll be allowed to disembark and go through the cities."

"Alright!" Meyrin said excitedly. She glanced in her sister's direction and Lunamaria smiled and winked back at her.

"Yeah. We've been pushed to the limit to get here, after all," Vino put in. He was concentrating hard on his hand again. "Although it happened so quickly and everything was pretty crazy, it's more like we focused on our jobs, and found ourselves here. Now we're all like, 'Hey, it's Orb!'"

"I've never been to another nation before. This will be great!" Meyrin exclaimed.

"Yeah it will. But just remember that the Captain hasn't said anything yet, so we can't get our hopes up just yet." Lunamaria took a sip from her juice and sighed. "But who am I kidding? Let's be excited for once!"

"I hear that!" Yolant echoed.

Vino placed another card down onto the table. "You just lost," Rey said.

"Huh?"

"Gin!" Vino's eyes widened when he saw Yolant lay down a complete winning hand. "What the…? How did you…?"

"He's been using the same strategy of alternating face and number cards this entire time. How did you not see that?" Rey asked incredulously.

"Well…I'm not a genius like you are, Rey!"

"You just admitted you're an idiot! Hah!" Yolant laughed. Vino slumped exasperatedly as everyone else including Rey shared a quick laugh.

It was then that Shinn walked slowly through the doors of the lounge and raised both of his arms high above his head and yawned loudly. "Hey, Shinn!" Lunamaria greeted him.

"You looked tired. Was the Impulse's internal network messed up that badly?" Yolant asked.

"No…I just had a late night last night…" Shinn mumbled before slumping into a high-backed chair in a corner of the lounge.

"You were gone for about an hour last night. Where were you?" Rey asked.

"On deck. I couldn't sleep." He yawned again. "What's up with you guys?"

"We were talking about how we might be able to disembark from the ship tomorrow," Meyrin said. "Isn't that great?"

Shinn's red eyes stared at her, but he only shrugged. "Don't you want to go ashore Shinn?" Vino asked. "This is where you're originally from, aren't you?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"Geez, _sorry_…"

Rey sat back in his seat. "It would be good for you if you did go ashore, Shinn."

"Huh?"

"You've been up and about for the past few days. You should take some downtime tomorrow and go ashore to relax a little. It'll help in the long haul if you're rested."

"Yeah, Shinn. You can't stay cooped up in the ship, complaining all the time," Lunamaria said.

"I do not complain all the time!"

"Pretty close to it anyway!" Vino joked, to which everyone laughed in response. Shinn was silent as the conversations turned away from him. Whether he wanted it or not, he was home more or less. He hated Orb and its rulers with a vengeance…but that was about it. Maybe it would do him good to go ashore after all. It wouldn't hurt, at least.

Ahead of the ship's forward deck, the sun was just now beginning to eclipse the western horizon, which was made even more beautiful by the shinning colors reflecting off of the ocean's surface to the west of Onogoro. "I've never seen a sunset this nice before," Felix mused. He stood on the furthest part of the forward deck with Ian and Victoria to his left, all three sets of their eyes locked on the fantastic scene playing out to the west.

"It is really nice when you see it from the sea," Victoria concurred.

"Kind of makes everything we went through over the past few days worth it, doesn't it?"

"Eh, to an extent," Ian admitted.

"We're some of the few people who may actually be enjoying this one," Victoria said, reminding them of the turmoil still raging around the world.

"Do you think the people whose lives were devastated will find it in their hearts to forgive the ones that did this?" Felix asked.

"I'd call it a long shot, but there may be a scattered few." Ian sounded hopeful. "I don't think everyone on Earth is a racist bastard."

"The people here are a perfect example of that," Victoria said, referring to Orb and its people.

"Yeah, they've been really nice to us here. I didn't expect that."

"Especially to _us_," Felix said. "Our parents are some of the highest ranking officials in the PLANTs. Their names are known to everyone around the world and yet I don't think anyone down there recognized us."

"It's kind of relaxing though," Victoria offered, "not having to face the fact that you're related to someone that powerful."

"What happens if we go ashore though?" Felix wondered. "If someone recognizes us, we could be in deep shit."

Ian chuckled. "And this is why everyone calls you, _Moron_."

"What?"

"Felix…_no one_ is going to care if you're the child of the PLANT Supreme Council leader. At least not down here in Orb. We're just ordinary ZAFT soldiers to them. We should take this opportunity to enjoy ourselves based on that knowledge. We can afford to have some fun now."

Felix shrugged. "You may be right."

"I know I'm right."

"Then you're the only one that does," Victoria laughed.

When Felix joined in the laughter, Ian chuckled sarcastically, "Ha-ha, _real funny_, guys."

_**-Seiran Mansion, 1930.**_

Unato's study was a combination between an office and a library. A tremendous amount of books of all genres lined the shelves that covered three of the room's four walls. The lone remaining wall was made up of transparent glass allowing Unato to overlook the expanse of land that was spread out behind his mansion. With a red and orange late evening sky staring back at him, he waited patiently for his son to finish digesting the most recent incoming documents to the government offices.

Yuna finished reading the last page and sighed. "What do you think?" Unato asked him.

"I think it's asking a bit too much to have our troops on stand-by this early, father. Nothing has yet been declared, as we've discussed many times before, so that may be going a little too extreme in this case." Yuna placed the stapled pile of paper onto his father's desk. "Besides, la Flaga and Barkhesh will never authorize us to mobilize our forces _this_ soon."

"Neither of them have a choice, Yuna," Unato interrupted. "The only reason they're enjoying themselves as they are is because we're allowing them to. If push comes to shove, la Flaga will do what he's told."

Yuna wasn't so sure. "Even if that's so, there's still the matter of Cagalli."

"Yes. She could be a problem further down the road…"

"Problem may be going a little too far, father." Yuna took a step towards the doorway. "I'll handle them. Both Cagalli and la Flaga will have to agree to the treaty if they want Orb to remain safe and secure. And knowing the two of them, they won't put others in danger to protect their own ideals."

"Very well then."

"You also have to remember that Cagalli is only 18, father," Yuna pointed out. "Although she's the rightful heir to the Orb lineage, it's a tremendous amount of stress to be heaping out onto an 18 year-old girl."

Unato nodded. "Do your best to make her decisions as easy as possible."

"I will. Good-night father."

"Good-night Yuna."

As he exited the study, Yuna shoved his hands into the pockets of his maroon diplomatic jacket. _This entire situation seems a little too convenient. The Atlantic Federation is being very hawkish. Why did they react so quickly and offer an alliance with everyone on Earth? It's almost as if they were planning for something like this to happen…_

Once he was certain that Yuna was gone, Unato turned on the monitor of his computer console and waited for several minutes. "You're an hour late, Seiran," Djibril said to him once the connection between consoles was set.

"There were concerns we had to work out. I apologize." Unato straightened his glasses. "The alliance between Orb and the Atlantic Federation is all but set, Djibril. All that remains is approval by the Ruling Council and the military."

"Excellent. The Far East and Australia have indicated that they will join us," Djibril announced. "I have no doubt that with these nations on our side, the domino effect will spread to every nation in the world."

"What about Eurasia? You haven't heard anything from Bradford I take it?"

"Of course not."

"Then what are you going to do about him? Eurasia's support is key for our success."

"Don't get flustered, Seiran. Everything will be taken care of. We will have Eurasia join us in our plight and there will be no more obstacles obstructing our cause. The PLANTs will succumb to our united front and we will accomplish our destiny. We _will_ rid this world of the Coordinators."

Unato smiled slightly. "That's what I always liked about you Djibril. You're optimism is contagious."

"Thank you for your kind words. All that remains for you to do is bring Orb into the alliance."

"I will make sure of that."

Djibril closed his eyes. "I know you will."

_**-Barkhesh Residence, 2130.**_

The brown-brick building was dark when Mwu pulled into the already crowded driveway and turned off his car's headlights. It was a warm, muggy night and being stuffed into the cramped confines of his starchy military uniform didn't help one bit. It had been a seemingly endless day of meetings, debriefings, and more meetings. _Why did I ever decide to become a soldier?_

He made his way up the paved driveway past several other cars and unlocked the front door of his brother-in-law's house. Since he'd helped construct the building, he'd been given a key to the front door and the same could be said for his house, only vice-versa. But with his house now a shell of its former self, Mwu would have to make due with calling this place home for the time being.

He tossed his officer's cap aside the moment he stepped inside and kicked off his boots. His arms hung tiredly at his sides as he made his way further into the house. The lights in the kitchen and a small lamp in the living room were on, which told him that someone was awake. Mwu eventually reached the high backed sofa in the living room and immediately collapsed on his back, with his feet dangling over the side of the sofa and closed his eyes. _Damn…_he thought, reflecting upon the entire day's proceedings and those of the past few days for that matter. _First the battle in the debris belt, then Junius Seven falls, and now I've got to deal with politicians for the next few days along with the prospect of having to fight alongside the people that stabbed me in the back. Welcome to the real world, Mwu._

_Rau's probably laughing at you right now, wherever the hell he is…_ The thought made Mwu shiver. The bastard that had tried to wipe out humanity, and also happened to be an exact duplicate clone of his father; he indeed would be laughing at Mwu's situation right now. He was stuck behind the eight ball, having to serve the power-hungry politicians who held his and his family's lives in their hands. _But I'm alive and he's dead. He lost and I won. _Had he really won though? The events of the past few days had blurred that scenario and Mwu had to admit that he couldn't be sure whether or not he had indeed won that battle.

There was a sudden increase in weight on his chest. Mwu felt it pushing down on him and slowly opened his eyes. An identical pair of smaller blue eyes was staring back at him, along with smaller traces of his blond hair, with a pacifier in the infant's mouth. Desmond had found him.

Mwu closed his eyes and smiled. "You know exactly how to cheer me up, don't you?"

Standing above him with her hands clasped in front of her, Murrue gingerly sat down on the lower part of his legs. She had changed out of her Morgenrate work clothes and into a long-sleeved white blouse and hot-pink skirt. She looked exactly as she did when he had left. "Well, he missed his daddy."

"Yeah, his daddy missed his little handsome guy too." He took Desmond in his arms and held his son close to him. "How ya doing, big fella? You've gotten bigger while I've been gone, haven't you? You're gonna be big and strong just like your old man, aren't you?" He could hear Murrue laughing quietly ahead of him.

"It's not saying much if he's going to be just like his old man." Mwu sighed.

"Aren't you supposed to be asleep?" he asked Frank. He raised his arm up to grasp his brother-in-law's hand as he stood behind the sofa looking down on him.

"I usually am. But with all these kids running around this place nowadays, it takes a little longer to get them to sleep," Frank admitted. "Finally got 'em all to go to sleep a few minutes ago."

"Everybody here owes you Frank," Mwu said. "You and Natarle are taking us all in, even though it would probably be easier for us to find somewhere else to stay."

"And make you pay for some run-of-the mill hotel? No way. If my sister and her family need somewhere to stay for a little while, my house is your house."

"Thanks."

"What I couldn't believe is that Natarle agreed to let us stay here," Murrue piped in. "I would think in her condition she wouldn't want anybody to be around, especially all those children."

"Believe it or not she enjoys having people around here. She gets lonely when she's just lying around all day. It's nice to have someone to talk to in times like these." Frank smoothed the hairs of his mustache. "The kids won't be any problem. Lacus, Malchio, and the others handle them so well, it's unbelievable."

"When's she due?" Mwu asked.

Frank shrugged. "Sometime in the next couple of weeks. It'll be nine months next month, so…"

"You excited?"

"What the hell do you think?" Frank smiled. "I can't wait."

"I figured as much." Mwu glanced down at his son, who had spread his tiny arms out as far as they'd go, as if he were trying to hug him. "You'll never feel anything like it, buddy."

"I know, I know."

"How was work today, you two?" Murrue asked.

"Meeting after meeting after meeting," Mwu answered simply. "Plus I get the news that I may have to work with those ass-holes over at the Atlantic Federation. Oh boy, that's gonna be fun."

"Mwu…watch your mouth…" Murrue whispered.

Mwu flinched. "Sorry…"

"Hey, I ain't excited about that prospect either," Frank added. "At least you won't have to fly with 'em, or even train 'em."

"I would've thought you'd be a little more upset about it, Frank," Mwu told him.

Frank rolled his eyes. "Believe me; I'm ticked off about it. But given our situation…we really can't afford to say anything too stupid. With Seiran basically calling the shots our best bet would probably be Cagalli."

"Do you think she'll be able to convince the Representatives otherwise?"

"Who knows? But no matter what, from this point on we're going to have to be _very_ careful about the decisions we make in the near future. One wrong move and everything changes." Both Mwu and Murrue nodded in agreement. Frank yawned. "Maybe it's time I got some sleep."

"You've had a busy day, Frank. We'll shut the house down for you. It's the least we can do," Murrue said.

"Thanks. Good-night you two."

"Good-night," Mwu and Murrue said together.

After Frank departed, Mwu glanced down at Desmond. His blue eyes were now closed, his head resting gently on Mwu's chest, using his jacket as a pillow. "Little fella looks tired."

"It's way past his bedtime," Murrue whispered.

"You're right. Let's put him to bed."

They carried Desmond quietly through the halls, shutting off the lights as they went. The room that they had selected for Desmond was a small study that neither Frank nor Natarle were using at this point. Mwu laid Desmond down gently into the cradle situated near the room's window, and tucked the small, wool blanket around his baby son. He and his wife stood watching him sleep for several moments without saying a word.

Eventually, Mwu wrapped his arm around Murrue's waist and held her close to him. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For giving me him."

Murrue smiled. "You've said that many times already."

"Well, I can't ever thank you enough, now can I?" They kissed each other briefly, then went back to staring down at their child. "I'm sorry," Mwu said, breaking the silence.

She glanced at him. "About what?"

"You know what. Kira or Frank probably told you already."

Murrue paused. After Desmond had been born, she had asked Mwu not to pilot a mobile suit anymore, for the sake of their family. She feared that he would end up getting killed, as he had almost done during the last war, and that their son would grow up without a father. Mwu had agreed, but she could tell from the start that it wasn't going to be easy to wean him off of piloting mobile suits. "It's okay," she whispered. Mwu was surprised at that. "I know you didn't have a choice, then."

"What do you mean?"

"A lot of people would have been depending on you…in that instance you had to go out in a mobile suit. Before I even found out, I had a feeling you had gone out there."

"I broke my promise, though."

"Not to me, you didn't." She pressed a finger to his lips. "You promised me that you won't pilot a mobile suit and do something stupid to get yourself killed. What you did that day wasn't stupid…and you came back…just like you promised."

He placed his hand over hers. "I wasn't going to leave you alone."

"I know. As long as you know that…then you don't have a problem with our promise."

"Thank you." He kissed her fingers gently. Then he kissed her lips, this time more deeply than the last one. He looked into her brown eyes, the ones that he had fallen completely beside himself for, and smiled. "Let's go to bed, Murrue." She nodded. She started to walk towards the door, but he caught her by the hand. Before she knew what was happening, he had flung her backwards to the extent that she would have fallen had he not caught her in his arms. He scooped her up and held her. "Come on…you know me better than that."

Murrue sighed. "Must you always carry me to bed?"

"That's the way I like it," he whispered seductively. "And based on your reaction, I can tell you like to be carried too." He lowered his voice. "And I also know what else you enjoy very much."

Murrue smiled and narrowed her eyes. She tapped his temple. "Mwu la Flaga...I wonder what is going through your mind right now?"

"Something that I owe you for leaving you alone for so long, wife."

He took great strides as he headed towards the door. Murrue's hand went to the top button on her blouse. "So then…should I start getting undressed now, or…?"

Mwu shook his head. "Not yet." He opened the door to their makeshift bedroom and stepped into the doorway. "Besides," he whispered in her ear, making her shiver, "that's _my_ job." He closed the door behind him with a gentle kick.

**END PHASE-09**


	11. Phase 10 Disembarkation

**PHASE-10Disembarkation**

_**-Athha Mansion, Orb Union, October 8, C.E. 73, 0800.**_

The sun rose bright and early in the morning, just in time to wake Athrun from his slumber. It had been a restless night for him. After dropping Kira off, he'd drove on across a seemingly endless streak of road for several hours, during which he said nothing; he only thought. When he returned to his apartment a few minutes before midnight, he'd showered and lay down to try and sleep, but his mind wouldn't let him. He kept traveling back to Junius Seven only moments before his mother's grave-sight crashed down on Earth. The words that GINN pilot had spoken to him echoed in his mind.

"_Why can't you realize that for us Coordinators, the path of Patrick Zala was the one and only correct path…?_"

After somehow managing to get to sleep, Athrun had been awakened by the sun's bright rays streaking over the horizon outside his apartment window. Those words continued to ring inside of him. He had dressed and gone for a walk, but they still wouldn't go away. The image of his father nearly wiping out every last Natural would not leave him.

Finally, Athrun decided against fighting it any longer. He'd gone back to his apartment and taken his car over to Cagalli's official residence where he would meet her every once in a while to discuss things. Now, as he sat at her spacious dining room's main table, an open laptop laid out in front of him, he thought he might have finally shaken the words from his brain. Unfortunately, when the images of destruction and reactions began to display themselves on the laptop's screen, the words came back. He could not escape them. "_…the path of Patrick Zala was the one and only correct path…_"

"Some coffee for you, Master Athrun?"

Athrun glanced up from his laptop into the smiling face of Cagalli's maid, Myrna. Her innocence seemed to be misplaced in the world of chaos around her. Athrun managed a smile. "Yes, thank you." The scalding hot liquid burned his throat, but Athrun was too concerned with the matters playing out on his laptop to worry about that. The Atlantic Federation was raising quite a fuss and both the Republic of the Far East and Australia had already joined in. They all were still at angry at the PLANTs over the Junius Seven drop, despite the fact that the PLANTs were denying any involvement in the catastrophe. As a result, the _Minerva's_ heroic attempt to crush Junius Seven was being lost in the limelight. Meanwhile, the _Kusanagi_ was receiving front page billing around the world and the crew was being hailed as heroes for _their_ actions at Junius Seven. It wasn't as though the Orb personnel didn't deserve the thanks, but the fact that the _Minerva _wasn't getting any was a bleak indicator of where things stood in the world.

"Athrun!"

Athrun glanced towards the doorway to the dining room where Cagalli was now entering. "Good morning!" She was finishing putting on her maroon diplomatic jacket, and when her maids bowed to her, she appeared uneasy. Athrun smiled. She still wasn't comfortable being waited on hand and foot.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. The administrative meeting went on forever. Oh, and I'll be in cabinet meeting all morning, so I don't have much time to talk," she added sadly.

"It's okay, I understand. Don't worry about it," he reassured her. She came to stand behind his chair and look over his shoulder down at his laptop. He got serious. "Tell me, what's the situation with the Orb government?" He could hear her sigh behind him. He looked up to her face to get her expression; it was uneasy and exhausted. That was enough to answer his question. "I see…"

"Yeah…" Cagalli spoke in a hushed voice. "I guess it can't be helped that we move in that direction, given the circumstances. Although not as bad as other places, Orb was still affected by the tragedy." She turned her head to glance out the room's large, transparent windows. "I can understand the opinions of the ministers…but…to share the pain felt…it shouldn't mean we have to join the people who shout for revenge, and hate the PLANTs. Right?"

Athrun nodded. "It looks as if there are other nations that agree with that sentiment." Cagalli looked back down at the screen, where a new set of images was now being displayed. These came from Eurasia, the Equatorial Union, and Africa, where people were not shouting out in dismay and anger, but were quietly beginning to rebuild their lives. "If it's what you believe is best for the nation, then don't hesitate to voice that opinion."

"Athrun…"

He stood up slowly. "I'm going to the PLANTs." Cagalli gasped audibly. Before she could speak, he said, "I hate to do this given Orb's situation, but I can't afford to just sit here alone doing nothing."

"Athrun…but that would mean…"

"I'm concerned about the PLANTs' position on this matter. Although I'm sure with Chairman Dullindal at the helm, they will not resort to the worst case scenario. But as we saw," he added darkly, "the fact is, there are still people who are swayed by my father…and his words." He took her by the shoulders. "I have to talk to the Chairman. If there is anything I…even I, can do to help…whether it be as Athrun Zala, or as Alex."

"Athrun…" Cagalli whispered. She reached up to cup his cheek.

"If the PLANTs and Earth continue on this course and end up becoming enemies, I will no longer understand what it is that we've been trying to do all this time."

Cagalli paused. "If you think that's what you have to do…then I won't stop you."

"Thank you. I've also decided to go because I want to find out who was responsible for the attempt on Lacus' life," he said as he turned back towards his laptop and closed it.

"Do you think Chairman Dullindal was really behind it?"

"I don't know. There's so much we _don't_ know. Kira's concerned about this too. If I can find out even a little about what happened…then maybe we'll have a clearer picture about all of this."

He put his jacket on and walked through the large rooms of the mansion towards the front door with Cagalli following behind him. He had already packed and had his suitcase sitting in the trunk of his car on the parkway in front of the mansion. Athrun stepped out into the early morning sunshine and looked up at the sky for several moments. It looked so peaceful up there; completely unlike anything that was going on under its blue tint.

Athrun glanced behind him at Cagalli. She was staring down at the ground, hands folded in front of her. He could tell that she didn't want him to leave. This was a difficult time for her as well; she was going to need all the support from her friends she could get. _Do it then, stupid! _Athrun felt for something in the right-side pocket of his black leather jacket. He'd bought it almost as an afterthought, in case the prospect ever came up. _She needs to know that you'll always be there for her no matter what. _Now seemed as good a time as ever.

"Cagalli." She looked into his green eyes. Athrun sighed. _Here goes nothing…just don't let her be angry at the timing of this…_ "Look. I understand your situation with Yuna Roma." He reached for her arm and pulled her gently towards him. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it." Cagalli, who didn't exactly understand what was happening, watched wide-eyed as he slipped the small, silver, jewel-studded ring onto her finger. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she realized what he was trying to say.

"Wait…what…?" She looked to his eyes for an answer, but he was looking away. The red spots on his complexion indicated to her that he was embarrassed. _Did he just do what I think he did?!_ "Are you…uh…what the hell? This is no way to give a woman a ring, you know!"

Athrun frowned. "Okay, _I'm sorry_." _You're an idiot, Zala! _The next thing Athrun heard was the sound of Cagalli laughing. He finally faced her again and saw that she had closed her eyes and looked as if she was about to collapse in laughter. "What?"

"Nothing…it's just…I never expected _you_ of all people to…" She laughed again.

Athrun tried to smile. "Does that mean you say yes?"

Cagalli managed to stop herself. She tried to compose herself, but all that came out of her mouth was, "Uh-huh…"

Athrun smiled. "I'd better get going. I know it's sudden…we'll talk about it when I get back okay?"

She nodded. "That sounds good." She embraced him. "Take care. Keep in touch."

"Yeah. Hang in there, Cagalli." Subtly, Athrun leaned in close and captured her lips in a quick goodbye kiss. He left her arms and took his laptop under his arm before heading down the steps toward his waiting car. He started the engine and put the car in gear. Just before he accelerated, he looked back towards the mansion entrance. Cagalli was standing there waving, and smiling. Athrun waved goodbye as well and gunned the motor.

As the black convertible sped down the parkway away from the mansion, Cagalli stood completely still. She watched the car go until it disappeared from view. She turned back towards the doorway and felt for the ring he had placed on her finger moments before. She brought it in front of her face and looked at it. She smiled. _How many other girls are in my position? The leader of the nation…engaged to two men…a bleak future ahead of her…I must be an anomaly in the world._ She walked back inside the mansion.

_**-Minerva, Onogoro Island, 0900.**_

"That's not the same shirt you wore to our graduation party, is it?"

Roland's eyes looked to his right where Talia was standing with her arms folded. "And if it is?" He was wearing a worn-out, red flannel shirt and dust-colored khakis; a not too flattering combination to say the least.

Talia rolled her eyes. "Ten years go by and you _still_ won't get yourself some new clothes."

"Well, I happen to _like_ my old clothes. They still fit me, after all."

"You look like a starved hobo," Talia said with a smirk.

"Nice. Hey Arthur, you ready?"

"Yeah." Arthur emerged from his quarters dressed in a plain white polo shirt and black trousers. Without his black officers cap, his long green hair was visible, to the extent that his entire mullet-like haircut was revealed in all its glory.

Talia shook her head. "Now why can't you be like Arthur? He at least wears something that looks half-way decent."

"He only has that stuff because Eileen buys it for him!"

"Hey, I could've refused to accept it from her, you know."

"No you couldn't. She would've torn your head off if you said one word to her."

"No she wouldn't have!" Talia and Roland glanced at each other. Arthur could see them both grinning like children at one another. He sighed exasperatedly. "Alright, she would've been mad."

"So you really didn't have a choice."

"No. Is that what you wanted to hear?" Roland nodded. Arthur only shook his head. "Anyway. Did you get the transportation set up?"

"We're_ walking_, Arthur." Roland said. "Even _you_ can handle a little walk."

"Fine, fine." Arthur glanced at Talia. "Why aren't you coming with us, Talia? I'd imagine you'd really want to see this place."

Talia sighed. "Unfortunately, as the Captain of the ship, it's my duty to remain on board or in the vicinity of the ship at all times. It's the price you pay for being a Captain."

"So you're going to let us get away and have all the fun, huh?" Arthur inquired.

"Something like that."

"What?" Roland paused. "…what else did you have mind?"

Talia frowned. "If you guys don't mind…I'd like you to find out more about what position the Orb government is leaning towards concerning the current matters. We don't have much information available to us, so I'd like to have a decent idea about what's going on out there."

"So in other words, you want us to spy on Orb?" Roland asked.

"If that's what you want to call it," Talia said, shrugging.

"_Great_. I start to think that maybe we're being allowed to disembark because we've earned ourselves a little break, and Miss Captain here gives us another assignment." Roland snorted. "I should've known."

Talia smirked. "Have you come to expect anything else from me in the years you've known me, Mister Smart-Ass?"

"No, I've come to accept the fact that you enjoy making Loverboy and me do your bidding. We _are_ your slaves on board this ship, after all."

"Next thing you know, she'll be asking us to get her drinks for her and fluff her pillows," Arthur added sarcastically. "We'll be completely devoid of our free will."

"Alright, that's enough. I think you boy need to get going," Talia broke in, pushing Roland down the corridor. "Try to be back by this evening, alright?"

"Yes, _ma'am_," they both said in unison. "You sure you'll be alright here by yourself, Miss Captain?" Roland asked casually.

"I'll be just fine, _Roland_."

"Yeah. Remember, Roland, she is a woman with _lots of luck_," Arthur chuckled.

"Yeah. I've been wondering about that too. Where in the hell did that come from, Talia?"

"Come on you guys. Get out of here, shoo-shoo," Talia forced them onwards, barely able to contain her laughter as she spoke.

"Yes, Talia." She could hear them laughing all the way down the corridor after they had gone. Talia eventually sighed to herself. It was difficult finding times like these where they could just be friends again. The three of them had known each other since they were teenagers in high school and had grown to become an inseparable trio as they got older. Now, even as they served together aboard the _Minerva_, their careers seemed to be interjecting themselves into their friendship. Talia was finding it harder and harder to talk to Roland and Arthur as a friend instead of their superior officer. Just now, she'd given them an assignment when what she really wanted was for them to have a good time. _How long do I have to go on like this? How long until we can act like friends on a consistent basis again_, Talia wondered. But that would have to wait for another time. She tucked a lock of her dark blond hair behind her right ear, brushed off her white uniform jacket, and headed for her post on the bridge.

Two decks below the officer's quarters, Felix waited impatiently in the corridor next to the quarters he shared with his fellow bridge crewman. He glanced at his wristwatch and frowned. "Ian, are you ready yet?"

"Hang on."

"You said that ten minutes ago!"

"Alright, alright, don't blow a gasket!"

Felix tapped the ball of his foot several times, exaggerating his increasing level of impatience. He was dressed in a red wind-breaker with white stripes around the shoulders and khakis. Ian eventually emerged, wearing a simple black polo-shirt with the October Five soccer team's emblem sewed into the upper left hand corner and spotless black trousers. He held his glasses in his hands for a moment while he finished cleaning the lenses. He placed them onto his nose and said, "Okay, I'm ready now."

"Let's get out of here then," Felix proposed. "I've been waiting all morning for you to get your ass ready."

"Well _excuse me_," Ian said, acting offended.

They proceeded to one of the ship's main lifts and began to descend toward the deck that housed the ship's exit hatches. "Anything you wanted specifically to do?" Ian asked Felix.

Felix shook his head. "Not really. I just really wanted to get out."

"I hear that. You okay?"

"Yeah…but there's still one thing that's been eating at me since we got the okay to go ashore."

"What? The fact that we're in a completely different nation than what we're used to?"

"No." Felix twitched his mouth. "I've been wondering _why_ the Captain wanted the two of us to take Shinn along with us."

"_That's_ what's been bugging you?"

"Uh-huh. This is where he's originally from. So why would she want him to go along with us if he can find his way around here just fine?"

"It very well could be because of that fact that she wants us to be with him," Ian said as the lift slowed to a stop. As the doors slid open, he added, "You've noticed that every time someone mentions Orb or the Athha's, he goes ballistic right?"

"Yeah."

"Well it could be that she wants us with him, _in case_ he goes nuts again," Ian proclaimed.

"Oh, I get it. If he goes bonkers, at least we'll be there to keep him from doing anything stupid."

"Right. Though if nothing spectacular happens I don't think we'll have to worry about it that much."

"I sure hope you're right," Felix agreed. The last thing he wanted to do while ashore was chase after Shinn after the pilot had gone and done something incredibly stupid.

As they approached the _Minerva's_ starboard exit hatch, they could see Shinn waiting. He was dressed in a gray hooded sweat-shirt and faded blue jeans with brown boots. He was holding a cell-phone in his hands. Every once in a while he would press a button on the phone's dialer, and each time another picture of either Mayu, himself, or their parents would be displayed in front of his red eyes. The last time he was here in Orb…they'd all been alive and well…

"You ready, Kid?" Ian asked.

Shinn glanced in their direction and quickly pocketed the phone into his jeans. "Yeah…I'm set."

"Good. Let's go then."

Ian led the way as the trio carefully made their way across the steel gangway that was connected to the _Minerva's _hull. "You sure you're alright, Shinn?" Felix asked.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

"Good. Because the last thing I want is for you to spaz out on us again."

Shinn frowned. "What I said was the truth."

"Whatever. You still acted like an ass-hole back there."

"Oh and like you're any better, Moron!"

"I told you not to call me that!"

"Guys, enough!" Ian said forcefully, but not in an extraordinary loud tone. "This is supposed to be our opportunity to relax and kick back for a little while. The last thing any of us wants is to spend this entire time arguing."

"He started it," Felix said quickly.

"I did not!"

"Shut up already, you two!" They stepped onto the stone dock beside the ship. "The next time you two start going at it, I'm beating both your asses."

"Yeah, _sure_," Felix remarked sarcastically.

"_Felix_." There was no response. "Good." _I can tell this day isn't going to end well_, Ian thought to himself as Felix, Shinn, and he headed out of the dock area towards the less militaristic part of Orb.

_**-Palm Street Beach, Orb Mainland, 1200.**_

_Dear Diary,_

_If I had told you, or anyone else for that matter, last time I checked in here that I'd be in the Orb Union with the _Minerva_ undergoing repairs, you probably would have thought I'd gone insane. Well, I guess the term insane is slightly overrated, because here we are in Orb. _

_I never thought that I'd participate in my first real battle before the _Minerva_ was even officially launched. I don't think anyone else on the ship did either. But some guys snuck into Armory One and stole three of ZAFT's new mobile suits; the Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss. My and Rey's ZAKUs almost got crushed by falling debris and I got into the battle late. Whoever those pilots were, they really knew how to fight. They almost single-handedly destroyed the entire base. We managed to chase them off though; Shinn and Commander Bourdais did most of the work because my ZAKU was already damaged. _

_The mobile suits ended up returning to their home ship and the _Minerva_ chased after them, along with Chairman Dullindal who joined us in the pursuit. What came as a surprise to me was the fact that somehow the Orb Princess Cagalli ended up on board the _Minerva_ along with her bodyguard in a damaged ZAKU. She looked as if she'd been through hell and her bodyguard wasn't much better. They looked pretty shocked when I saw them, but maybe they were caught off guard like we were. I have to admit though; her bodyguard was kind of cute, even though he didn't really say anything. And of course, I can't forget to let you know that that same bodyguard is really, get this, _Athrun Zala!_ That's right; the former ZAFT red who was one of the biggest heroes during the war. I couldn't believe it at first, but Princess Cagalli said his name, by accident I think, and then Meyrin told me the Chairman called him Athrun on the bridge during the next battle. I wasn't there of course, we were out fighting the stolen mobile suits in the debris belt, but the way Meyrin was talking, I could tell she was telling the truth. _

_I thought we might finally get a break from all the action, but _no_, of course not. The very next morning we found out that Junius Seven had broken its orbit and was falling toward Earth. The _Minerva_ rushed to stop it, along with the Orb battleship _Kusanagi,_ which provided a big assist during the battle in the debris belt; we didn't get the new mobile suits back by the way, just to let you know. We also lost four GuAIZ pilots who had just come aboard the ship. I hadn't had the chance to really get to know them, but it was still sad to see them die so early on. But, I've been told that you can't look back on stuff like that during a battle. You have to move on to the next objective, and that's exactly what I did. _

_We managed to get to Junius Seven just before it entered the atmosphere and we ended up escorting other ZAFT mobile suits to the object who were trying to demolish it. But then we were attacked by a couple of mysterious mobile suits that appeared out of nowhere. It became obvious that Junius Seven didn't break its orbit by accident. I don't know who those pilots were, but they seemed pretty determined to drop Junius Seven on Earth and causing a lot of damage. The other mobile suits managed to break Junius Seven in half, but we still couldn't stop it. I saw the images from Earth after we descended along with Junius Seven; it was terrible to see all those people displaced from their homes and scarred both emotionally and physically. I had heard stories about the last war, but nothing prepared me for that sight. It made me hurt just watching. _

_After that, we landed in the Pacific Ocean and found our way here to Orb. The ship is currently being repaired at one of their big docks and the Captain decided now would be a good time for the crew to get some rest. They even let us disembark and I was really excited. After all the battle's I've been through during the last week diary, you wouldn't be able to guess where I am now. It's October, and yet I'm working on my tan! I guess that's what you get when you have warm temperatures almost year-round like Orb does._

Lunamaria paused her writing for a moment in order to smooth out the wrinkle that had formed along the front of the fabric she had tied around her waist to make a sarong. She then slowly moved the edge of the fabric around the side of her left leg so she could expose more of her white skin to the sun. The pink sarong matched the two small pieces of swim-suit that protected her chest and waist, including the small flashes of powder blue scattered along the fabric. Lunamaria felt for the sunglasses she had perched on top of her short red hair and, after making sure they were secure in their position, went back to her writing in her diary.

_Anyway, just to let you know in case you were wondering, Meyrin's been doing fine. She's as cheerful as ever and from what I've heard she's doing a heck of a job on the bridge. And Dad said that she wouldn't make a good soldier!  
_

_I got a package from Mom and Dad the day before the _Minerva_ left Armory One. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, a few pages of letters and Mom's usual box of I Love You cookies, but after what happened in the days after, I've come to realize just how precious those little things from home can be to you. I don't know when I'll be able to contact them again. I miss them. But Dad said I had to be strong if I wanted to succeed in the military. I think I would be letting him down if I continued to lament on things like that, so I'm going to move on. Besides, I have a lot of friends down here with me like Meyrin, Shinn, Rey, Victoria, Felix, and everyone else. I'm sure they'll be able to keep me company for as long as we're on board together. _

_I think that wraps up all the adventures I've had over the past week. Maybe I'll have even more to tell you about next time. Until then, thanks again for being there for me diary. I'll see you again soon!_

_See ya later,_

_Lunamaria Hawke_

_10/9/73_

"Awesome!" Lunamaria closed her diary at the same time as Meyrin's exclamation.

She smiled and glanced to her left, where her younger sister lay sprawled on her back on one of the beach's many rubber-back lounging chairs, hers was spread completely flat. Meyrin was wearing a light green bikini, though it almost looked turquoise to Lunamaria, which accentuated her tiny figure nicely. "And what is my little sister exclaiming about now?" Lunamaria wondered out loud.

Meyrin tilted her dark sunglasses and responded, "The sun down here on Earth feels much better than it does on the PLANTs! It's so warm and relaxing!"

"That's because there's nothing standing in the way of its rays," Lunamaria told Meyrin. "The PLANTs have their outer shells and mirrors in between the sun and us. Here on Earth, there's only the atmosphere to contend with and that isn't much when you think about it."

"Oh, it's so nice! If I ever get the chance, I'm coming down here as much as I can!"

"I think I may join you, sis," Lunamaria piped in. She set her diary underneath her lounge chair and leaned back against the somewhat upright back end of her chair. She could feel the suns rays shining down onto her body and it felt fantastic. "It's so nice so have some peace and quiet for once."

"Yeah. But, considering out current situation, I'm surprised that we've actually found some peace and quiet."

"Oh really? And why is that?"

"Think about it, Luna. In our little group right here, there is one of us that is considered one of the most sought after, and most eligible mind you, bachelorettes in the entire organization of PLANTs. This person also apparently happens to have many male suitors seeking her hand. With that knowledge, isn't it a little strange to be able to find this much peace and quiet?"

"Hmm. You've got a good point. And I wonder who that lucky lady might be." Lunamaria turned slightly onto her right side. "Could it be _Miss Victoria_ is the woman being pursued by all those hopeful men, hmm?"

Behind her sunglasses, Victoria showed little emotional response. The only thing she did was twitch her ruby red lips into a small smirk. "I don't have the slightest inclination as to what you're talking about, Luna."

Lunamaria laughed as she responded, "You are the _worst_ liar I've ever heard, Victoria."

"How many guys is it, Luna?" Meyrin asked.

"I don't know. Ten? Maybe twenty?"

"You're exaggerating things," Victoria said casually.

"Oh come on, Victoria! You're the only daughter of the PLANT Supreme Council Chairman, you've got a great mind and body, and you're one of the nicest people in the world. Plus, I've read the tabloids. Every rich or intelligent guy in the PLANTs is chasing after you. You can't deny that."

"Who said I can't?"

"I did."

"Whatever you say, Luna. But I have to ask you this question," she said. Victoria rolled over onto her belly, her well-fitting, one-piece black swim-suit only offering a few strings of protection around her back and neck. "Why in the world would any sensible man want to chase after me?"

"She just told you why!" Meyrin piped.

"That didn't sound like it to me."

Meyrin sighed. "Okay, then. If you don't care so much and deny it…then _why_ are you out here tanning with us Victoria? You usually stay on board the ship and hide far away from the sun in the infirmary." Lunamaria nodded in agreement with her sister.

Victoria tucked her long black pony-tail behind her shoulder so she could give the sun as much of a target as possible. She smiled and turned her head to face the other two ladies. "Meyrin…is it wrong…for a woman to desire a nice looking complexion…just because she feels like it?"

Lunamaria hummed. "She's got you there, sis."

"Whatever."

"You give up so easily, Meyrin," Victoria quipped, drawing a quick giggle from Lunamaria. Meyrin just laid there in her chair.

Lunamaria placed her sunglasses over her blue eyes and stretched her naked arms out above her head, allowing the sun to continue its positively relishing menstruations across her thinly-clothed body. "And that's the end of that conversation," she remarked.

_**-Orb Central Marketplace, Downtown District, 1230.**_

There was a great diverse grouping of people in the large marketplace on this clear morning. Among the people that Shinn identified were rich businessmen taking a lunch with business associates, construction workers on a coffee break, housewives taking their young children on midday walks, and of course there were the usual barterers and salesmen working at the small stands selling various things from jewelry and fine china to fruits and rubber bands. This wasn't what made the place seem out of the ordinary to Shinn however. It was the fact that none of the people in the marketplace seemed to care about anything happening in the world outside of the marketplace itself. The drop of Junius Seven and the subsequent chaos that had gripped the rest of the world by the throat was practically nonexistent here in Orb. It could have been because the nation had received relatively minor damage during the catastrophe, but that didn't look to be the answer. Shinn believed that these people just didn't care about what was happening in other parts of the world. How they could be so absent-minded, Shinn had no clue.

"You said this was the central hubbub of activity in the downtown district, right Shinn?" Ian asked as they waited for the stop-light in front of them to change so they could cross over to the marketplace complex.

Shinn nodded. "Yeah. I never got the chance to come down here very often, but from what I've heard, this place usually is where a lot of the low-level business transactions in the city take place."

The stoplight changed to green and they began to make their way across the busy city street along with a crowd of other individuals. "Based on the size of this place, I'd have to guess that that's probably a fair assessment," Ian observed.

"Kind of reminds you of the main square on Aprilius One, don't it?" Felix put in.

"Yeah, you're right. The only thing different is that one is a lot smaller."

That assessment proved to be correct. The marketplace was situated along a single stone walkway that looked like an ordinary sidewalk, but was also as wide as a four-lane city street. There were selling stands on either side of the way, in no particular order or section. It was as if the way the organization of the place was determined was based on a first-come first-serve basis. As expected, the salesmen and women were in a happy frame of mind and they spoke kindly to anyone that bothered to stop by their stand even for a glance at their merchandise.

Shinn said nothing as he and the others walked slowly through the crowded marketplace. He still could not get over the fact that the people in this place seemed completely oblivious to the events happening around them. They didn't care that the world was threatening to spill into an all-out war again that could envelop their own country at any time. Nor did there seem to be any animosity towards the people who had nearly dropped a PLANT on top of their heads a mere six days before. Then again, Shinn reminded himself, this was Orb after all. This nation was famous for standing behind its deeply held ideals until the bitter end, which had proven disastrous during the last war. Shinn in particular was still scarred by that decision, for it had been as a result of Orb's refusal to abandon its principles and join with the Earth Forces that had led to the Earth Force's assault on the Orb Union which in turn resulted in the deaths of Shinn's parents and sister. He would never understand why the Athha family had let the Earth Forces simply attack them without a response, nor would he ever forgive them for his family's deaths.

He noticed a particular group of people walking through the marketplace in the opposite direction as he, Ian, and Felix. It was a grouping of five men; Shinn guessed that none of them could be older than thirty. The leader was a shaggy-looking man with long straight brown hair, a matching goatee, and a gray fedora hat, who walked in a strange manner that suggested that he had back problems. Beside him was a shorter man with long reddish-gold hair with a blue bandana tied around his forehead and a large, ugly black scar on his neck. Shinn guessed that the first man's strange walk and the second's neck scar were the direct result of war injuries. The remaining three in the group all but confirmed Shinn's theory. The man farthest from him had short black hair underneath a sort of flat-cap, which made him appear almost gypsy-like, and walked with a limp; when he walked closer to Shinn, he could hear the strain of the metal parts that made up the man's lower right leg and foot. The next one was easily the tallest of the group, with curly blond hair and a big nose. At first, Shinn thought he would be the odd man out in the group, but when the man turned his head the other way to speak with the man on his right, Shinn saw the red optical lens in place of his left eye. Yet another battle scar. Finally, there was the man who passed directly beside Shinn. This man was short and stubby with short, curly brown hair. When Shinn walked next to him, the normal feeling of the other man's arm brushing against his should have been evident. However, the sensation never came. The last man had no right arm.

What shocked Shinn the most about the group of men however, was the fact that each one of them was smiling and laughing. As debilitating as their injuries seemed, it was as if they didn't even know they were missing body parts or had jagged scars along their skin. Three of the men were each carrying an oddly-angled case that Shinn identified as guitar cases. They were more concerned about music than anything else? Even after the men had passed him by, Shinn wondered how people like them could just forget the events of the past and move on so easily. It made absolutely no sense to him.

Ian and Felix had not paid as much attention to the group of men as Shinn did. They were more concerned with the bartering stands they passed along their course. "Dress pants, fresh fish, home-repair supplies…"

"This place has got everything," Felix concurred. "Where do you think they get all this stuff?"

"Some of it's probably home-made or caught, but I would assume that most of it is probably imported from other places," Ian said. "Orb is an island nation after all."

"But still, look at this place." Felix's eyes were wide with wonder.

"Keep your eyes trained ahead of you, Moron. We don't you bumping into people."

"Shut up."

They had walked deep into the marketplace now. There was almost no room to maneuver around the countless people that were passing them by. Shinn was leading with Ian and Felix side-by-side behind him. When the movement of people came almost to a stand-still, Felix tapped Shinn on the shoulder. "This place is amazing. You must have liked living here in Orb, right Shinn?"

There was no answer. Shinn only waited until the crowd opened up and continued moving forward. Ian elbowed Felix slightly in the side. "It may be better if you just let him be for now."

"Why?"

"Because this is the first time he's been back here since he joined ZAFT, remember? Coming back here may be a little much for him right now."

"Oh. Okay."

Shinn continued moving forward through the crowd and at the same time felt for the cell-phone still in his pocket. He thought of Mayu and how much he wanted to have her with him at a time like this. His lapse in concentration ended when his shoulder slammed into someone going the opposite direction from him. Shinn jumped and instantly turned to face the man. "Oh, I'm so sorry!"

The other man had short brown hair, dark sunglasses, and was wearing a green-flowered hula shirt. He smiled at Shinn. "Don't worry about it." He walked on and said nothing else. However, once he noticed Ian and Felix walking behind Shinn, his gaze tracked the two of them for a slightly more significant amount of time. With the black sunglasses masking his eyes though, they didn't notice.

The sunglasses wearing man cut across the rows of people and came to stand before a small green stand with a short, older man working behind the counter selling different kinds of fruits and vegetables. He saw the man standing in front of him and he smiled. In his peppery accented voice, he proclaimed, "Ah, Mr. Grant, welcome back! So good to see you!"

"You too, Pedro," Grant said kindly.

"Ah, I know what you're here for!" The man kneeled down behind the stand and reached for something. He came up and presented Grant with a shiny, larger-than normal apple. "Fresh from the homeland! Just as you like!"

Grant took the apple and looked it over without taking off his sunglasses. "You know me too well, Pedro. You also didn't have to go to the trouble just for me."

"What can I say? With as dedicated a customer like yourself, I can afford to do a little extra to make your visit a happy one!"

Grant smiled. "I appreciate it."

Meanwhile, Shinn had once again lapsed into a daze and once again smashed into another person, but this time the man had just been standing still. "I'm sorry!" Shinn apologized.

Before he could move on this time however, something grabbed onto his arm and stopped him dead in his tracks. "_Hey_! You need to be more careful, little guy," the man said in a rough-accented voice. It sounded to Shinn as if he was trying to sound tougher than he actually was. "You could hurt someone walking crazy like that."

"I'll be more careful."

The man didn't release him. He pulled Shinn perilously close and whispered in a menacing voice. "For some reason, I don't think you will. Maybe I need to teach you some manners."

"I said I'm sorry!" Shinn maintained. The next thing he knew, he was flying backwards and crashing into a wooden display of meat containers. He crashed through the display and landed with his back against a brick wall and wood splinters lying shattered all around him. The blow had caught him in the right side of the face and Shinn could feel the sting resonating through his head. The attack had startled many of the people around them in the marketplace. A commotion had been activated by the man's assault on Shinn. Now people all around them were looking on with wide-eyes, wondering what would happen next.

At the fruit display, both Grant and the proprietor also heard the commotion nearby. "Oh dear. They're starting a ruckus again."

"Who are they?"

"That stringent gang of street thugs who think they own this place. They like to prey on other individuals who are usually smaller than they are. They're no better than playground bullies really."

The man approached Shinn's downed figure. Shinn looked angrily up at the man's grinning face. "Not so tough now, are you?"

"Shinn!" Both Ian and Felix pushed their way through the crowd and appeared behind the man standing over Shinn's prone figure.

"What's this? You have friends with you? So you thought you'd lure me into a false sense of security and gang up on me did you? Well, it just so happens that that's not going to happen!" Both Ian and Felix suddenly found themselves surrounded by five of the thugs. "You see, I have friends of my own here."

"Heh-heh. You want us to take care of these ass-holes for you, boss?"

"Leave this little bug to me," he said of Shinn.

The group around Ian and Felix started to close in on them. "I-I'm warning you guys," Felix stammered. "Don't make us do something we don't want to do…"

"Wait a sec…I think I recognize these two from somewhere's. These guys look just like those kids from PLANTs…you know, the one's who parents are running things up there." Felix shot Ian a glance. Ian sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Take care of them for me boys," said the leader. "I want this punk to myself." Shinn tried to stand up and managed to swing his leg out and strike the man in the right shin. The man staggered slightly, but didn't fall. "Oh…a tough guy, eh?" He raised his foot up into the air and stomped down on Shinn's chest, forcing him onto his back. Shinn groaned in pain. "You are pathetic, you little worm!" Shinn felt the man's spit land on his face. When he looked up again, he saw the man holding a knife that gleamed in the sunlight directly above them. "I'm going to make you squeal for me…!"

The proprietor of the fruit stand felt a coin being pressed into his hand. He looked back to where Grant was standing. He took a bite out of his apple. "Thanks for the apple." With that said, he bolted from his position at the stand. He jumped up onto the counter of another stand down the way and ran across it before landing on another counter and vaulting into the air. His flying body soared through the air and rose over the crowd of people surrounding the ruckus. The man over Shinn didn't even have time to react before Grant swung his left leg in a wide circular motion and caught him under the jaw, sending him tumbling side-over-side across the marketplace. The man's knife clattered to the ground beside Shinn's face. He took a moment to comprehend what had just happened and then looked up into the eyeless face of his savior. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Look out!" Another of the thugs had run up behind Grant holding another knife. He extended his blade toward Grant's back, but Grant turned just in time to catch the man's arm underneath his shoulder and cease its movements. He kneed the man in the groin and then backhanded him across the face with the backside of his right hand, causing him to fall to the ground in agony. Grant turned to look back down at Shinn, but dark-haired young man had already risen and was now spear-tackling another thug to the ground and wailing away at the man's face with his fists. After several intense shots that had left the man's face a bloody mess, Grant finally put his hand on Shinn's shoulder. "That's enough, Kid."

There came another howl of sounds near them. The group of thugs that had moments before been surrounding Ian and Felix were now in total disarray. Several of them were already incapacitated on the ground, while those still attempting to fight were being pummeled. Ian landed a hard shot to one man's stomach and then hoisted the fellow onto his shoulders before dropping him onto his back with a fireman's carry. Felix meanwhile, resorted to a less sophisticated style of punches and kicks to disable his attackers.

Not even a minute after the scuffle had been initiated, it was all over. The hushed silence of the crowd around them was enough to tell the tale. Before Shinn had a chance to catch his breath, Grant had pulled him to his feet and was now steering him towards a crevice between two nearby buildings. "Come on, let's get out of here." He yelled at Ian and Felix to join him. Felix immediately did so, but Ian paused for a moment.

He went over towards the broken splinters of wood that had once been the stand that Shinn had fallen through. The crowd that had surrounded them during the altercation was still there, though now they were staring in awe at what they had just witnessed. The eight thugs lay moaning in pain on the ground at their feet and just moments before it looked as if they would be the ones enacting the pain. Ian glanced at the remnants of the stand and shook his head. He then glanced at the proprietor. He reached into his pocket and unfolded a handful of bills. "Sorry 'bout that," he said as he placed the money into the proprietors hand. He then sprinted towards the alleyway where the others had disappeared. The crowd they left behind looked on incredulously at the bodies laying before them, completely flabbergasted at the scene they had just witnessed.

Ian reached the darkened alleyway to find both Shinn and Felix gasping desperately for oxygen. Felix was still standing with his hands on his knees, slightly bent over, while Shinn had sat back down on the ground with his arms folded. "Everybody alright?" Ian asked.

"Yeah…" Felix gasped. He shook his head and coughed. "Boy…you sure have a way with people, Kid…"

Shinn shot him an angry glance. "It was his fault…he started it…"

"Enough you guys, it's over. Let's worry about getting ourselves out of here now."

Ian started walking towards the end of the alleyway which was got significantly brighter as he approached. Grant was standing up straight, one arm behind him, the other holding his silver Zippo steady as he lit a cigarette. Grant heard Ian's footsteps coming towards him, but he didn't turn his head to acknowledge him. "They gonna be okay?"

"They're fine." Ian sighed painfully. He had hoped that today would bring peace and relaxation to his already tired physique. Instead he found himself in the middle of another fight. _Maybe I'm cursed or something…_ "Listen…thanks for your help back there."

"Forget it."

"No, I can't. Why'd you help us? I mean…we don't even know who the hell you are."

Grant finally glanced at him, though Ian couldn't tell because of his sunglasses. "Fine then. My name is Grant Worcester, I'm 20 years-old, and I am from the Orb Union. Now you know who I am, we can settle that little bit of information."

Ian raised his eyebrows. "Not much for small talk are you?"

"No." Grant puffed on his cigarette. "My policy is get straight to the point or you're just wasting your time."

"Not a bad philosophy to have. But you still haven't answered my other question. Why'd you help us in the first place?"

Grant removed his cigarette from between his lips. He glanced out back at the brightness of the alleyway exit ahead of him. "I don't like it when cocky bastards like those idiots try to pick on tourists who didn't do anything wrong. Don't worry; I'm not the only one around here that feels that way."

"Uh-huh…"

"Plus there's also the fact that you're Ian Dullindal, the only son of the Chairman of the PLANT Supreme Council, Gilbert Dullindal, and your buddy back there is the sole surviving son of Kenneth Roske, also of the PLANT Supreme Council." Grant raised his arms to about shoulder height. "What, didn't you think I'd recognize you?"

Ian opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out. Felix came beside him rubbing his shoulder. "Yeah, nobody's going to recognize us. Yeah right," he said sarcastically.

"The world's already in a tight spot. I don't want anything more to happen because you two get killed in a street fight." Grant took another puff and stamped out his cigarette with his foot. "Believe me, ZAFT would've been more than pissed if that would've happened."

"Thanks…I guess…" Ian said.

Grant began to move towards the alleyway exit. He entreated for the others to follow. Ian waited until Shinn gingerly rose to his feet, his right cheek sporting a crimson spot. Grant stepped out onto a deserted sidewalk with a two-lane road beside it. He started heading for a bright blue convertible parked on the side of the road and said, "You guys are from that battleship that docked here yesterday, right? Hop in, I'll give you a ride around this place."

Ian was startled. "You're offering us a ride?"

"Isn't that what I just said?"

"But…uh…"

"Look, it's a goodwill gesture, alright. I don't want you guys walking around here without a clue." He stepped to the driver's side of the car and opened the door. "Come on, get in."

"Wait a minute." Ian glanced back at Shinn, who was still rubbing his cheek. "We still don't know a lot about you. Sure, you helped us out back there…but why should we trust you enough to let you drive us around?"

"Shinn…" Felix said cautiously. _He may have just blown our chance for a ride,_ he thought rigidly.

Grant didn't respond for a moment. He simply reached for his cigarette case and lit another. "I'm not asking you to trust me," he said simply. He blew a cloud of white smoke out of his mouth. He then pushed his sunglasses further up his nose. "But unless you guys want to deal with the rest of those guys back there, I suggest you take up my offer."

"There are more of them?" Ian asked.

"That was just the first group. We just kicked the shit out of their leader. His cronies'll be back for your heads in a minute."

Ian glanced uneasily at Felix, and then at Shinn, who still looked as if he didn't quite trust their unexpected savior yet. "What do you think?" he asked Felix.

"I think we need to get out of here before those other guys show up," Felix said.

"Shinn?"

The younger man rolled his eyes. "Let's just…get out of here."

They began to make their way towards the convertible. Grant started the motor as Felix took the passenger seat while Ian and Felix climbed into the back. "Any specific place you wanted to go?"

"Just take us driving for a little while," Ian told him. "If we see any place we want to stop, we'll let you know."

"Hang on then!" The three ZAFT personnel were thrown back into their seats as Grant punched the accelerator and quickly shifted from first to third gear. The convertible raced down the road, leaving ugly black rubber markings in its wake.

_**-Orb Business District, 1400.**_

"Well, I've got to admit the chicken teriyaki has got its strong spots, but I'd still prefer the spicy Italian beef to anything else."

"Always have to go for the spicy one huh?" Arthur quipped.

"Hey, what can I say? I'm a sucker for barbecue sauce." After journeying through most of the business district and doing nothing more than seeing the sights and enjoying themselves, Roland and Arthur had stopped at a small sandwich shop for lunch. They had ordered their sandwiches, paid the fee, and were now eating their lunches while they continued to walk. "This is good, though," Roland admitted with his mouth half-full of beef."

"For a small place they do a good job," Arthur agreed.

"Yeah. By the way, have you had a chance to talk with Eileen since last week?"

Arthur shook his head. "I won't get the chance until we reach the next friendly base. You know the whole deal; secrecy is a top priority on a ship like ours."

"That stinks."

"Tell me about it."

"At least you know she made it back to the PLANTs alright, right?"

"Yeah, I read the news reports. She and the Chairman made it back to the PLANTs safely and now they're working on disaster relief efforts." Arthur sighed. "And now there's also the prospect of the anti-Coordinator feelings sweeping around the world," he acknowledge darkly. "Without even speaking with her, I know she's not too happy about that."

"She is the one who signed the peace treaty at the end of the war," Roland said. "I can imagine that she wouldn't be too happy about all of this."

Arthur took another bite from his sandwich. "When we first started dating, she told me that if we ever found ourselves in a hostile situation like that again, she'd have a hard time accepting that anything will change after all."

"Yeah. I can see where that kind of mind-set would come from." Roland added, "But since you're out on the front, it'll be your job to make sure she believes that it still can be achieved."

"That's what I promised her when we got married. I'd always be there for her in times of need." Arthur sighed. "And now in probably the biggest crisis of our marriage I'm all this way from home. Some husband I am."

"Hey, if she wasn't happy about you being away all the time, she would've said something already," Roland reassured his friend. "The fact that you were able to real in a fish like her, who happened to be the Chairwoman of the Council at the time mind you, speaks volumes to me, Loverboy. There's something special there between you two."

Arthur smiled. "Why do you still call me Loverboy?"

"Because you're the only one out of us that was brave enough to get hitched, that's why."

"Speaking of which…when are you and Talia going to finally get together?"

"What?"

Arthur smirked at his friend. "Geez. You think I'm that dull-headed? I've seen the way you two act when you're around one another. You're best friends and you want to be together, but you're too shy to admit it. What happened? You dated once before."

"That was in high school," Roland reminded him. "We were young and inexperienced back then. Plus, when you're best friends with someone like that, it's hard to take the next step and develop an intimate relationship with them. That's what we found out back then."

"But just as you said, you were young and inexperienced. You both didn't know what real love was. Now that you're both older, why not try it again?"

Roland paused. "It's hard, man. Especially given our situations…I don't know if it'll ever happen to tell you the truth."

"But you want it to happen, right?"

"Uh…yeah, I guess so." Roland was trying to find the right words. "But it's hard man. It's really hard for me."

"I know. But let me tell you something, buddy. There's going to come a day not too far into the future, where you're going to ask yourself, 'Why didn't I do it?' Then it's going to be too late. You can't let that happen."

Roland didn't respond, but he made sure that he would remember that sentiment. They made their way down a busy city sidewalk until the crowds around them became so thick that they could hardly move. "Where'd all this come from?" Roland wondered.

Arthur noticed that they all were looking toward a shop beside the sidewalk. "What's going in there?"

The crowd was looking into the window of a shop that sold televisions. Three screens were on display in the window and each was tuned into the same thing. There was an older looking man with gray hair and glasses, dressed in a business suit with a piece of paper in his hand, standing in front of an outline of the Orb Union with the headline, "Orb's Big Decision" in big letters behind him.

"Again, reviewing our top story this afternoon; the Orb Union has been offered a treaty of alliance with the Atlantic Federation regarding coordinated disaster relief efforts in the devastated areas of what the experts are now referring to as the Break the World Incident, and other issues such as trade and currency agreements. This proposed alliance has already reportedly been accepted by both the Republic of the Far East and the Republic of Australia. There is no word however, on the Orb government's decision. It has been indicated to our station that the government is currently debating the treaty as we speak, but it will likely be a few more days before we hear any definitive decisions being released. It's also essential that we mention that this treaty of alliance proposed by the Atlantic Federation extends to every nation on Earth including South America, the Equatorial Union, and the Eurasian Federation, but like the Orb Union, it is still unclear whether or not these nations will join the alliance at this time. We will have more on this developing story as more information comes into our station. Stay tuned for more news."

"Did anyone else think that that last part sounded as stupid as I did," Roland remarked quietly.

"You mean the part about every nation on Earth being offered the treaty?" Arthur asked.

"No, I meant specifically that _Eurasia_ had been offered a spot in the alliance. Are they really stupid enough to think that _that_ nation is going to join the alliance?"

"After everything that's been happening there over the past two years, I'm surprised they would do it as well," Arthur said.

They scooted their way around the crowd of people and continued down the sidewalk. "Eurasia is headed by the former General Woodrow Bradford, the man who is credited with stopping the Earth Alliance attack on the PLANTs during the last war. During the course of said operation, he was deceived numerous times by his fellow Earth Alliance commanders, specifically the ones from the Atlantic Federation, and nearly ended up dying as a result of those deceits." Roland's tone of speaking made it sound like he was reciting lines from a school textbook. "After the war, he was given leadership of Eurasia by that nation's ruling council leaders. His first declaration while in office was the infamous First Enactment: 'All individuals found to be taking part in activities associated with the Blue Cosmos organization, or any other organization involved in terrorist activities, will be subsequently arrested and, if necessary, executed'. The enforcement of the Enactment was given to the newly created Eurasian Special Forces 2nd Division, also known as the Red Men, a secret-service organization specializing in counter-espionage and guerilla warfare. In the two years since it was passed, over 3,000 people discovered having ties to Blue Cosmos have either been arrested or killed on the spot by the Red Men. Eurasia is one of the few nations that have little or either no Blue Cosmos influence within its borders." Bradford stopped to take a deep breath. "Bradford wants to make sure that nothing happens to his nation like the events of the last war. With no Blue Cosmos there, there won't be anything interfering with the affairs of the government. There's also the fact that there is almost no hatred to be found in that nation. The world and the PLANTs pretty much owe that to Bradford, the other government leaders, and the Red Men."

Arthur nodded. "What he's done there is impressive, but it seems eerily similar to something else that happened in that area a long time ago. If I'm not mistaken, Bradford's actions mimic those of a tyrant who rules his nation with an iron fist."

"That's probably a fair assessment. But you could also say that he's a tyrant for all the _right_ reasons."

"How so?"

"Think about it. Bradford has stated in many of his speeches that his actions are only for the betterment of Eurasia as a whole. His actions against Blue Cosmos have kept that nation united for the past two years. You can do that as a government leader if you're willing to be pretty harsh and that's exactly what he's done."

"He won't even hesitate to refuse the treaty with the Atlantic Federation then."

"I doubt if he'll even look at it," Roland added.

"Do you think Orb will respond in the same way?"

Roland bit his lip. "The guy on the television said they were considering it. Just the fact that they would even _consider_ joining such an alliance, which appears to be directed against the PLANTs, is enough for me."

"We should head back to the _Minerva_ and tell Talia, then," Arthur said.

"Yeah. Let's hang around here for about another hour and then we'll head back. We haven't seen that last stretch of the business district anyway."

"You just want to eat some more," Arthur laughed.

"And what's wrong with that?" Roland asked innocently.

_**-Orb Government Offices, 1400.**_

There came a quiet rapping on the door to Yuna's office. "Yes?" the blue-haired young man asked into his intercom.

"General Vernes is here to see you, sir."

"Very good. Allow him to enter." His beautiful secretary opened the door and Mwu entered slowly. His expression indicated that he really didn't want to be here, but Yuna had asked him to come. Since it was a request from someone on the Ruling Council, he didn't have much of a choice. Yuna set aside the documents he had been analyzing, folded his hands and set them on his desk. "Thank you for coming, General. Have a seat."

"I'd rather stand," Mwu said blankly. _He really doesn't want to be here,_ Yuna told himself. _I don't blame him._ "I'm very busy at this time, Representative. Could you be quick about whatever it is you want to talk about."

Yuna nodded. "I understand, sir. I'm sorry if I called you away from anything important, but I felt that it was necessary for me to show you something." He stood up from his seat and reached for something in one of his desk drawers. He indicated for Mwu to look at the monitor perched on the end of Yuna's desk. "I understand that you have your misgivings about this nation joining with the Atlantic Federation's treaty. I did myself when I first heard about it, I must admit. But when I had the chance to think about it, I came to the conclusion that it would be the best decision for Orb as a nation."

"And why is that?"

"I'll show you." Yuna inserted the disk drive he had retrieved into the slot on his computer's hard-drive system. He then came around to stand beside Mwu as the first images made their appearance on the monitor.

The first few photos contained images of mobile suits and other vehicles engaging each other in a fierce battle along the coast and other inland areas. Mwu could easily identify the location as Orb and the mobile suits on the attack were the Strike Daggers used by the Earth Alliance during the last war. There were also three mobile suits that Mwu had personally fought many times, Calamity, Forbidden, and Raider. The Orb mobile suits were doing their best to hold their positions, but the battle eventually spilled inland to civilian areas. The next thing Mwu saw were images of frightened civilians running away from the destruction of the battle. Mothers were holding onto their children by their very limbs as they tried to run away, older people being carried up high inclines to escape the battle, and others kneeling over wounded or dying friends and family with tears flowing down their cheeks. So this is what the attack on Orb was like during the last war. Mwu had been in space when the attack happened and very little detail had been communicated to him about the actual event. These images were enough to fill him in on the details of the destruction.

"This was what happened when we decided to stand by our ideals the last time the Atlantic Federation asked us to join them," Yuna said quietly. "We ended up having to deal with the consequences an attack that devastated our land and people. Many still haven't gotten over that, I believe." He turned to face Mwu directly. "The last thing I want is for Orb to have to go through that again. That is why I decided it would be in the best interest of the nation to join with the Atlantic Federation. If we don't, we would be the lone nation standing against them more than likely, and the last time that happened, well…" He glanced back at the monitor. "I know that you don't want that to happen to this country as well, General. You fought to protect people during the last war…and because of that many people owe their lives to you and your comrades here. I have those same feelings coursing throughout my body when I see footage like that. I only want to help the people of Orb remain safe during this trying time."

Mwu didn't answer. His eyes looked Yuna over, trying to find one sign that he was lying, but he couldn't find any. "What do you want me to do?"

Yuna nodded. "All that I would ask of you…is to consider the proposed alliance. If you do that, that's all we would need. We need people like you right now, General. Orb's livelihood may be dependant on your actions during these next few days. Think about that when you're considering it."

Mwu blinked his eyes slowly. "Will my family be safe?" he whispered firmly.

Smiling, Yuna said, "I personally promise that_ nothing_ will happen to either you or your family. If I _ever_ break that promise, you have permission to do whatever you wish with me. Kill me if you wish, I would probably deserve it then. But _I swear to you_, _nothing_ will come of harm to your family." Yuna extended his hand towards Mwu. "Will you at least trust me on that?"

Mwu paused. He faced the choice of either working for the very nation that was seeking to have he and his family killed, or fight against them and put millions of other lives in danger. Was it worth it? Three people for the price of a million? His hand reached forward and clasped Yuna's firmly. "I'm going to hold you to that promise, Yuna," he said.

Yuna shook his hand. "I'd be disappointed if you didn't."

_**-Orb Southern Coast, 1900.**_

The black pavement raced along beneath the underbelly of the blue convertible as it barreled down the road at a high rate of speed. In the right-side of the backseat, Shinn was quiet, his head balanced on his right hand while his elbow was perched on the car's door. The man they had met in the marketplace earlier had driven them almost the length of the entire nation, stopping occasionally so they could get something to eat, but otherwise the car was constantly in motion. Along the way, Felix had been the instigator of the majority of conversations, while Grant had smoked about five more cigarettes and Ian and Shinn remained relatively quiet.

Shinn had used this period of silence to reconstruct his memories of this place that he had once called home. They had traveled through urban areas where he had occasionally visited, to more rural communities along the coast that he had never seen. Now they had reached an area that was close to the place where he had grown up, and the memories started coming back to him. He could remember playing in the forest with Mayu when they were little, scampering around tall trees and rolling down muddy hills laughing in ecstasy. He remembered playing catch with his father on their front lawn while his mother watched from the porch smiling while he and his father talked about everything that they could think of. He recalled those hot summer days when the entire family had ventured to the beach to relax; those were the most peaceful, fun-filled days Shinn could remember. And now they were gone, never to be seen again.

From the backseat, Shinn looked out over the expanse of the incline beside the newly constructed coastal road they were now rolling along on. The salty sea breeze stung his nostrils and made his mouth dry, but Shinn relished in it, for it was yet another reminder of the days that he had enjoyed to the fullest extent.

Something caught his eye at the base of a downhill embankment beside the road. In sharp contrast to the green and brown of the wilderness and rocks along the shore, this small place was a combination of white and gray stone. There were also several groves of multi-colored flowers beside tall stones with small markings on them. Shinn recognized the place as a memorial. What made his heart stop however was the fact that he recognized this location. In the distance, he could see Onogoro Island and its military and construction facilities. He could also see an old wooden dock rotting away a feet meters past the memorial, which had last been used to evacuate civilians from the mainland during the Earth Forces' attack two years previous. He also recognized the embankment that descended from the hill above the road down to the shore. He had tumbled down that very same embankment and broken his shoulder when he landed at the bottom.

"Grant."

Grant didn't take his eyes off the road. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Could we stop down here for a minute?" Shinn asked quietly. He nodded towards the memorial. "I want to see that place."

Grant spoke to Ian. "Do you guys have a timeframe that you want to go by? You know, to get back to the ship?"

Ian glanced at his wristwatch. It was getting late; the sun was already beginning the process of setting behind them to the west. Talia had given them strict orders that they weren't to remain away from the _Minerva_ more than an hour after sunset. They would be cutting it awfully close. "I think we can spare about ten minutes."

Grant nodded and immediately began to slow the car's momentum until it came to a gentle stop at the side of the road next to the memorial. Shinn opened the door and exited the vehicle without a word. As their fellow passenger began to make his way towards his destination, Ian leaned forward and rested his arms on the backside of the front seat. "What is this place?" he whispered into Grant's ear.

The brown-haired man finished lighting another cigarette and responded, "A memorial for those who died protecting Orb during the attack." Ian nodded in response. That was all the confirmation he needed as to why Shinn wanted to stop at this place.

Shinn slowly approached the memorial, stopping a few feet before a large bed of flowers arranged in a semi-circular formation. Something about this exact spot sent shivers down his spine. _This is it…this is where I landed…_ Out of the corner of his eye, Shinn glanced up at the embankment behind the road. _I fell all the way down from there…that all used to be forest…that's where…_ Shinn felt his lips begin to tremble. This was it; the exact location where his family had been killed. He felt for the pink cell-phone in his pocket and held it in his grasp. It was his last memory of his family. _This…this is where…Mom…Dad…Mayu…_ Shinn could still see the bloodied remains of their bodies lying amongst the devastation after that blue mobile suit had blasted the ground with its mighty cannon fire. His anguished cry at the realization his family was gone echoed throughout his mind. Shinn felt the tears begin to form at the bases of his eyes, but he held them back. Instead, he wiped them away with the sleeve of his pullover and destroyed them.

It was then that Shinn noticed that he was not alone at this place. To h is left, he noticed another figure standing before a small stone at the edge of the memorial. The man was dressed in all black with short brown hair and small object perched on his shoulder. The other man turned his head slightly to take in Shinn's form. The small bird on his shoulder flapped its wings, called out a word that Shinn didn't recognize, and flew into the air, racing past Shinn in the process.

"Is it…a cenotaph?" Shinn asked the man quietly.

From his place near the stone, Kira nodded his head slightly. "Looks like it. But, I'm not too sure about it myself. You see…it's my first time here too. To actually make the effort to come here." Shinn blinked. _Who is this man?_ "The flowers here have finally bloomed." Shinn noticed another bed of flowers surrounding the headstone. "But it's unfortunate that they'll wither because of those crashing waves."

Shinn sighed quietly. "Perhaps it means they can't be fooled." He saw Kira tilt his head slightly. "No matter how beautiful the flowers are, people will wipe them out again anyway," he added darkly.

"What?"

A pleasant sounding voice began to make its presence known to the both of them. A pink-haired woman was walking along the shoreline with flowers in her hands, singing a song that Shinn didn't recognize. _Who is she?_ Her pleasant sounding song made Shinn begin to regret his statements just moments before.

"Shinn!" He glanced back towards the road where the convertible was sitting quietly. Ian called out, "Come on, we gotta go! It's getting late!"

Shinn turned back to face Kira and Lacus and bowed his head. "I'm sorry. For my comments. Good day." Shinn turned around and began to walk silently back to the car. _Mom…Dad…Mayu…I promise you…I won't let you down. I'll get that damn mobile suit if it's the last thing I do…!_ Kira and Lacus watched him go. He got into the car which then drove off down the road, and then they too took their leave of the memorial, leaving the sacred place once again in complete silence.

_**-Moscow, Russia, Eurasian Federation, October 9, C.E. 73, 0400 (1300 Orb Union time).**_

The mansion located on the dimly lit streets of the Moscow suburbs was bathed in darkness and dead silence, the lone exceptions being the persistent drumming of thunder and rain that was now soaking the city. The only semblance of light anywhere near the building was the small lamps that lined the driveway that led up to the magnificent house and these only provided lights for up to a few scant meters. It was because of the lack of light that the small unit of masked men were able to sneak up to the mansion undetected. There were no guards to be seen around the mansion, which took some of them by surprise, but they relished in any break they could get; especially on a mission carrying this amount of importance. Armed with silenced pistols and semi-automatics, the men crept up a small hill that led to the rear of the mansion and took up positions outside the brick walls. The leader of the unit made several hand gestures to indicate where he wanted his squad of about twenty men to go. He left the majority of the unit on the outside of the mansion to deal with any unexpected guards that happened to make their presence known, while he and five of his most experienced men made the dangerous journey to the inside of the mansion. Using tools that worked in almost complete silence, they successfully tapped into the mansion's electronic surveillance units and disabled all the security cameras, instead replacing them with previously recorded tapes falsified to make them appear to be the genuine ones. They made sure not to disrupt anything going on inside the mansion; their target was notorious for remaining awake for most of the day. With the cameras taken care of, the men successfully breached a side window and entered the dark confines of the mansion.

Near the center of the mansion, in what could be constituted as a living room, a small television played images of current events going on around the world. The words that were spoken through the box's speakers were in Russian. "_At this moment, it is being widely speculated that the Atlantic Federation and its allies will be issuing an ultimatum of sorts to the PLANTs in response to that nation's reportedly unwillingness to cooperate in the apprehension of the terrorists responsible for the Break the World disaster a few days ago. However, as of now, we still are awaiting word on the action that Eurasia itself will be taking as no response has come from the Nation Council, Prime Minister Gupta, or Premier Bradford himself. Their course of action has been debated throughout the past few days, but with the way things tend to play out in situations such as these, it would more than likely be wise to just wait and see what happens…_"

While the news analyst continued to speak away, the individuals watching the television took everything in silently. The oldest individual was seated in the room's only arm-chair, gray hair combed slightly to the right, hazel colored eyes reflecting the images he was watching on the television, the rest of his face and well-dressed body unmoving. Years of service to his nation had turned Woodrow Bradford into a shadow of his former self; he appeared over sixty years old when in reality he was only fifty. However, just by speaking a few words, he had been able to, and still could for that matter, draw entire audiences to the cause for which he was championing. Those that chose to oppose him…well, after the actions he had implemented in order to stamp out Blue Cosmos during the past two years, there were very few who chose to oppose him. They faced insurmountable consequences if they did.

War had also greatly affected the two individuals seated on the high-backed sofa to Bradford's left. The one closest to him was a man in his early thirties, bi-speckled, with a short reddish-golden goatee to go along with his matching hair, and the body of an athlete if he had chosen that profession. Once long ago this young man had been an innocent soldier laughing it up with his brother and best friend; then he had been thrust onto the frontlines of the war and had been exposed to more personal tragedy and betrayal than anyone else Bradford had come across. Because of the bond Bradford had shared with this man during their service together, he now treated Seymour McKinley as a second son. In the same manner, he viewed the woman curled up close to Seymour as family as well. She was extremely beautiful with long, curly blond hair and a slender build. At first glance, one would have thought she would have been a fashion model or anything else besides a soldier, but that had been the profession she had chosen. Now known as Jessica McKinley, she had displayed the courage and ability of the best soldiers Bradford had ever seen. The relationship she shared with her husband was something that Bradford could only describe and inseparable.

As they continued to watch the events taking place around the world play out in front of them, the only interruption was the quiet, hushed voice of Bradford's faithful butler Walter. "_Tea, sir_?" he asked with a genuine smile on his face.

Bradford only glanced at his long-time friend and servant for a split-second. "_Thank you_."

Walter poured the concoction into a small cup and handed it to Bradford who took a quick sip before turning his attention once more to the television. "_My, my…things indeed are getting very ugly out there…_" Walter's voice hummed. Bradford didn't respond; he didn't need to.

Before taking another sip from his tea, something caught Bradford's ear. It wasn't much, merely the sound of a shoe bottom scrapping against a piece of tile. However, the only people that were supposed to be in the mansion were Bradford, Walter, Seymour, and Jessica. Judging by the frequency of the sound, Bradford concluded that it had come from the rear quadrant of the mansion. That could only mean one thing. He noticed that both Seymour and Jessica had noticed the sound as well. They had learned well during the past few years.

"_Oh dear…we have uninvited guests, it appears._" Bradford made an almost absent-minded motion with his right hand, holding it at an upward ninety-degree angle from his body. Without a word, Seymour and Jessica rose from the sofa and disappeared quietly into the darkness of the mansion. Walter too took his leave, leaving Bradford alone in the living room. He took another sip of tea and waited.

Several minutes passed before Bradford heard the sound of shoes scrapping against the floor again. By this time, they had gotten much closer. Out of the corner of his eye, a sole individual, dressed from head to toe in black and wearing a concealing mask, emerged from the darkness to his right, a silenced pistol clutched in one hand. Bradford didn't budge.

Glancing around him for a quick second, as if to clarify that what he was seeing was actually occurring, the assassin smiled beneath his mask. "_Well, well, well…the great Woodrow Bradford lets his guard down. I would've thought this would be more a challenge._" No response. "_I was expecting that you would at least put up some resistance…now I'm starting to believe that you actually _want_ to die._" The man moved to stand directly in front of Bradford, blocking the television from his sight. Still, Bradford did not move. "_We've been subjugated by your actions for long enough…it's time for Eurasia to take her rightful place in the world._"

Finally, Bradford's hazel eyes locked onto the man's masked face. They stared at each other for several moments without speaking a word. At last, Bradford opened his mouth. "_I'm going to give you one chance…leave now…and you won't be killed…at this moment._"

The assassin seemed to laugh. "_You are threatening me…? I don't think you fully realize the predicament you're in Bradford…!_" A quiet shot rang out. A jagged hole appeared in the upper left hand corner of Bradford's white dress shirt. The ex-General didn't seem phase; he didn't even flinch.

He could see the man's expression behind his mask begin to take on a surprised look. That bullet should have pierced Bradford's heart! What happened? "_I gave a chance, Blue Cosmos…_" Bradford whispered quietly, but fiercely. "_All Blue Cosmos' must be destroyed._" He narrowed his eyes. "_Now, die!_"

The assassin felt his throat tighten suddenly as the pencil-thin coil of steel wire suddenly wrapped itself around his throat. The man struggled for a few agonizing seconds, with Bradford looking on in front of him, and then he jolted backwards once and sagged to the ground with blood seeping from the wound stretching around his neck. Bradford looked on silently as Walter emerged from the darkness, retracting the now blood-stained coil back into his shirt's sleeve. "_My, my…quite the braggart, wasn't he?_"

Taking another sip of tea, Bradford calmly listened as a quiet strain of four more sounds rang out through the mansion. Those sounds were quickly followed by the equally telling tremors of four bodies hitting the mansion floor. The fifth sound Bradford had been expecting never came. Instead, a different sound began approaching the room where he and Walter were situated.

The last assassin's body was limp as Seymour carried him stealthily into the room with one arm, a silenced pistol held in the other hand. He stopped before Bradford and waited until the older man nodded his approval. "_Who sent you?_" Seymour asked menacingly. No response. "_Who sent you…?"_ A stream of white liquid streamed from the man's mouth. Seymour cursed him and threw him to the floor with an ugly thud.

"_Cyanide_," Walter said roughly.

"_The others?_" Bradford asked. If the assassin he had encountered earlier had been a foreshadowing person, there had to be others waiting outside.

"_Sergei and the others have taken care of them,_" Jessica's voice informed him as she too emerged from the darkness. Bradford's guards, who also happened to be members of the Red Men, were experts at stealth movements. The other assassins wouldn't have stood a chance.

Bradford took one last sip and set his cup down. Standing up gingerly, with an assist from Walter to go along with it, Bradford slowly shed his dress shirt and both bullet-resistant vests underneath. As he removed the second one, a small metal bullet clanged to the floor at his feet. "_We need stronger body armor,_" he told Walter. His butler had already readied another shirt for him and Bradford dressed quickly. He looked behind him and his heart immediately began to wrench. Seymour held Jessica tightly in his arms, her head pressed against his chest, and even though he couldn't see or hear her, Bradford could tell that she was crying. She didn't want to force herself to do what she now considered her job, but she no longer had a choice in the matter. It was either that, or she and the man she loved would have to face an even more brutal future than the horrible past they had already experienced. Bradford was equally torn about the decisions he had been forced to make in the wake of the last war. However, for the betterment of the nation he now led, it was a necessary sacrifice.

Picking up his empty cup, Bradford shut the television off and turned to Walter. "_Make sure the bodies are taken care of_."

"_Yes, Premier._"

He motioned for Seymour and Jessica to come with him. "_We must go. The situation has gotten worse than we could have imagined. We must disappear for now. Come._"

_**-Orb Minister's Office, October 9, C.E. 73, 1930 (local time).**_

"What? That's ludicrous! There's got to be some mistake!"

Both Unato and Yuna glanced awkwardly at each other. They had anticipated Cagalli's outburst once they gave her the news, but it still made them uneasy. Unato sighed. "No, there's no mistake about it. The Alliance, including Eurasia and the Atlantic Federation, have released a joint statement. Should the PLANTs refuse to agree to these demands, they will be deemed a hostile enemy state and a threat to humankind on Earth. At which time the Alliance will take all necessary steps to eliminate that threat, including the use of force."

Cagalli couldn't find the strength to answer. She glanced back down at her desk, but the document didn't lie. The list of demands made by the Alliance contained the signatures of President Copeland of the Atlantic Federation, as well as the leaders of the Republic of the Far East, the Australian Republic, and, the one that shocked Cagalli the most, the Eurasian Federation. All these nations had agreed to join the Alliance and now were threatening to use force against the PLANTs!

_**-Orb Union International Airport, 1930.**_

Athrun sat quietly in his seat as the shuttle destined to take him to the PLANTs began to lift off the runway and streak into the air. He had no clue what would be waiting for him there when he arrived. He hoped that the PLANTs had not overreacted in the wake of the disaster, but he couldn't be sure until he saw it for himself. _Gilbert Dullindal,_ Athrun thought, _what will you do? Will you remain true to the words you spoke before…or will you be drawn into the conflict once again?_ Those thoughts stayed with Athrun throughout the entire journey.

**END PHASE-10**


	12. Phase 11 Bared Fangs

**Phase-11 Bared Fangs**

_**-Wayne Lapina Memorial Airfield, Onogoro Island, Orb Union, October 9, C.E. 73, 2100.**_

Darkness had settled over the airfield by the time Grant powered through the security checkpoint at the main entrance. As usual, the small airfield appeared to be abandoned, with many of the buildings and taking on an abhorring look in order to maintain the image of the place being abandoned. Such was the secrecy that the Orb military had put into effect in regards to the project. The airfield had taken on, what someone who had never been inside the place before would call an almost ghost-like appearance, because they could not understand how any living being could work in a place as abhorring as this.

He drove across the main runway at a high rate of speed and turned to the right in a wide arc, so that the front of the car was pointed directly at one of the old hangars. Grant stopped the car approximately one hundred feet from the dilapidated building and lowered the driver's side visor slightly. He felt for the switch attached there and pressed it. It took a few moments, but eventually a piece of pavement the size of two regular length parking spaces rose up with the help of several support gears. Grant took his foot off the break and let the convertible coast through the opening and down into the underground portion of the airfield. He turned on his headlights as the hatch closed behind him.

Grant drove through a dimly lit passageway, which was made even dimmer by the dark tints of his sunglasses, until he reached the end where the road widened into a small parking lot. He parked the car in a space next to a small entranceway with a guard shack in front of it. The armed guard nodded to him as he came towards the doorway and Grant nodded back. He retrieved his security card and slid it into the designated slot which then beeped twice, which signaled that he had been approved entry. The heavy doorway opened slightly ajar and Grant pried it open before stepping inside.

Behind the doorway was a hallway that stretched on for a good distance with a door on either side every fifty feet or so. He lit a cigarette and listened intently for a sign as to where his destination would be. He heard the faint traces of music coming from a doorway on the left-hand side of the hallway. That was where he was headed then. He reached the room and peered inside, just in time to hear someone inside shout out.

"Change the damn station, Trent. I'm sick of this!" Martin Hoffman called out. He was leaning over the edge of the recreation room's pool table trying to line up a corner shot on the ten ball. "All this station's playing is new-wave crap."

"Well excuse me if I didn't feel like listening to that death metal bull-shit you listen to," Trent Callaway responded angrily. He was flipping through the pages of a gentlemen's magazine and his eyes widened when a tri-fold page unfolded itself in front of him. He gave a sly whistle. "This babe ain't half bad."

"What I'd like to know…is when are you going to ditch that magazine stuff and get yourself a real girlfriend," Martin shot back.

"But you don't have one either, Martin," Hector pointed out. He was waiting for Martin to finish his shot before taking his own turn.

"Shut up."

Hector chuckled and then he noticed Grant making his entrance into the room. "Hey, it's about time! Where were you all day?"

"Around," was Grant's response. He walked over to where Hector was standing and whispered something into his ear. Hector nodded and then walked away from the table momentarily with Grant by his side.

Martin took his shot and sent the dull white cue ball streaking into the side of the blue-striped ten ball. The ball ricocheted off of the side of the table and rolled right into the corner pocket. "A-ha! Another one falls! Trent turn this damn music off!"

"Screw you!"

"I'll kick your ass!"

"I'd like to see you-!"

"The Earth Forces?" The bickering between the other two pilots halted immediately once Hector said the phrase aloud. Grant was wearing a serious expression on his face as he stood before Hector who looked exasperated.

He removed the cigarette from between his lips, blew smoke through his nose, and said reluctantly, "Looks like it."

"Get the fuck out of here, we _hate_ the Earth Forces!" Hector thundered.

"What's up?" Martin asked.

"Orb may join the alliance with Earth Forces," Grant said simply.

"What?"

"You're joking, right?" Trent put in.

"Afraid not," Grant admitted. Hector had turned away from Grant and then proceeded to walk over to the room's plain white wall and give it a swift kick with the point of his foot. "Hector, take it easy!" Grant warned.

"Take it easy? How can I take it easy?" his friend asked. "There is no way in hell I'm fighting beside the Earth Forces! Those bastards are a bunch of greedy bitches that only care about making their own lives better!"

"Hector-!"

"They killed my brothers right in front of me, Grant!" Hector shouted into his friend's mug.

"_Hector_!" Grant's voice echoed throughout the room and into the hallway outside. "You honestly think you're the only one that got hurt by the Earth Forces? Those guys have made thousands of people miserable over the years. Now, I don't like it any more than you do. But you've got to remember that we're in the military now! We threw away our power to decide on this kind of stuff a long time ago!"

"What's the commotion about in here?" The four men inside the room looked to the doorway and saw the imposing figure of Sergeant Scott Williamson, their commanding officer, bearing down on them. The old soldier's rough-edged eyes bore into all four of them and effectively silenced them for what seemed forever.

Grant took the plunge and spoke first. "We were discussing the possibility of having to side with the Earth Forces in the near future, sir."

Williamson's lips thinned. "You've heard about the proposal then?"

"Yes."

"I've been in discussions all day about that very issue." Williamson sounded exhausted. "I've spoken to fighter command and they've said that if it comes to conflict, they've designated our squadron as one of the ones that will head to the frontlines."

"What?"

Williamson eyed Hector. "Is there a problem, Private Rodriguez?"

Grant cast a quick glance back at his friend as if to warn him to keep his mouth shut. Hector sighed. "No, sir," he mumbled.

"I can understand that some of you would be upset by this, but you realize that as the test-pilots for the project, the military will want to see the newest technologies available if a fight starts." The old soldier crossed his arms. "I want you and your equipment to be ready to move on a moment's notice."

"Sergeant. W-what are the chances that we do end up having to fight…realistically?" Trent asked.

He shrugged. "Who knows? These days you really can't be too sure about anything. Just be ready in case." Hector walked past Grant and stormed out of the room. "Rodriguez!" Williamson called after him.

"You may want to let him be for just a little while, Sergeant," Grant suggested to the older man. "He's…not taking this in very high spirits."

Williamson frowned. "He's mad that he's going to have to work with the people that killed his family right?"

"Uh-huh."

"That doesn't surprise me. Think you can talk some sense into him, Worcester?"

Grant sighed. "I'll try. But like I said, it's going to be _very_ hard to convince him that he's going to have to fight beside those people…even if it _is_ for Orb's best interests."

"Would you prefer that we remained neutral in all of this like the last war?" Grant nodded without hesitation. "I would too." Grant was surprised. _It looks like there are a lot of people like us out there,_ he thought.

_**-Earth Forces Arzachel Lunar Base, Moon, 2200.**_

Located within the high rising rock walls of a giant crater, the Earth Forces' new lunar base was to be considered an updated and improved version of the previous lunar bases that had been destroyed during the war. Much like those bases, this one was located primarily underneath the lunar surface, with only a few large bays and openings carved into the rock to admit and relinquish warships, shuttles, and mobile suits. Massive anti-air gun ports were strewn about every hundred meters or so to defend against air assault; these would give even small mobile suits trouble. The interior of the base was much more technologically and environmentally sound. Crystalline surfaces covered every inch of the base, making it appear as new as it had been reported. Large hangar bays were filled with newer warships of the _Agamemnon, Drake, _and _Nelson_ classes, along with more recent additions to the fleet. Also present on the inside of the bays were countless numbers of Dagger L's and of course the newest addition to the fleet, the Windam mobile suit, with its large antennae and bulky shoulders. Weapons of every kind and power, including missiles, laser cannons, and even small arms weapons, were being pulled and pushed to locations around the base. The most eye-turning of all of them however, were the specially marked missile carbines being loaded onto the larger warships in huge numbers. The symbols were a combination of red and yellow, mixed together in a combination that sent shivers through anyone that laid their eyes on it. It was the symbol of a nuclear warhead.

Neo saw all of these things from the briefing room located on an alcove above the largest of these hangar bays. He was leaning casually up against the thick layer of glass that separated the room from the rest of the place, listening with his fellow commanding officers as one of the base's leaders informed them of their next objectives. They were all wearing the standard all white uniforms of the Earth Forces which made him stand out in his all black garb and equally unusual mask.

"These are the preliminary routes that the fleets will be taking in order to reach the assumed destination." The officer leading the briefing was a well-kept man with short dust-brown hair and a matching mustache. If he wasn't a soldier, one could assume that this man was some kind of rich business tycoon. He stood before a holographic board that was displaying images of the Moon and the PLANTs in the L5 space. "As of this time, none of these are set in stone, but we have been ordered to plot out the most plausible routes in order to reach the L5 space. The 3rd and 4th Fleets will follow the designated course and head for the PLANTs via the quickest possible route. If our calculations are accurate, it should only take approximately a day and a half to reach the needed locations. At a distance of 1000 from the leading bank of asteroids in the L5 cluster, the Special Assault Fleet, will split off from the main force and make a 180 degree turn back towards the Moon. These ships will be vaguely disguised as supply ships and it will appear to the enemy that they are retreating back to the Lunar Base. However, a short time later, the ships will double back towards the PLANTs and circle around the asteroids to strike at the PLANTs from a point approximately 200 paces away. Early indications are that the PLANTs have yet to mobilize any form of defensive presence, so that tells us that they will not have very much time to ready their forces should they mobilize. By dividing the fleet, we will be able to deal one swift blow to the PLANTs and hopefully end this conflict without much of a scuffle."

"When will we receive our official orders, sir?" one of the seated officers inquired.

"Once we have a clear indication as to what the PLANTs will do regarding the demands made to them by the alliance. By that time, our forces should be in ample readiness to undertake any objectives that may come about as a result."

"What happens if the PLANTs suddenly decide to agree to the list of concessions?"

"Hmm. That would throw a wrench into things." The briefing officer grasped his chin between his index finger and thumb in a classic thinking pose. His mustache hairs twitched. "However, the orders coming from above are close to assuming that the PLANTs will not be able to fulfill those demands within the designated time limit of 36 hours. It is because of that that the higher-ups have given us these orders." He pointed back towards the board. "Admiral's Hosogaya and Gretchen will be commanding the ships of the 3rd and 4th Fleets respectively, while Admiral Thompson will assume command of the Special Assault Fleet. The Goss, Lopez, Gideon, and Wainright units are going to become a temporary part of the 3rd fleet for this operation, while the Warren and Burger units will join the 4th. Please make sure that your pilots are well briefed in regards to this information, men." Those assembled in the room then heard a barely audible grunt. The officer glanced slightly in Neo's direction. The blond-haired man raised his head enough to take in his counterpart. "You're wondering why I have not mentioned the 81st Battalion at all, Colonel Roanoke?" Neo nodded. "Orders are to have Phantom Pain remain at the Lunar Base for this operation. We have the forces necessary to undertake this mission, so we need not risk our best pilots here."

Neo pursed his lips. _This is Djibril's work no doubt. _He could hear the grumbling murmurs of several of his fellow commanders at the news that he wouldn't be joining them, but Neo didn't care. All he had to worry about was his own men and equipment and nothing more."Now then," the officer continued. "Report to your assigned units and pass this information along. Make sure your people are ready for departure at the indicated times and locations. That is what this mission is centered on." He lowered his voice. "There is a great likelihood that failure in this mission will result in even greater troubles for us in the future. Don't forget that."

Deep within the lunar base, inside one of the training rooms that soldiers could use to work out and exercise, there were groans of strain and intestinal fortitude echoing against the walls. Auel struggled to push away the weights above his shoulders with his arms; upper-body strength wasn't one something that he could boast about. His face was twisted into an agonized expression as he tried to move the heavy bars while seated in an upright position. Sweat cascaded down his brow and arms, indicating that he at least was trying. He reached his limit and let the weights drop down to their restraints and collapsed back into the confines of the chair, his mouth wide open and breath coming in strained pants.

"You need to work out more, Auel," Sting advised him from a few feet away.

Auel frowned. "Well excuse me if some of us aren't as well-built as you, Mr. Bad-Ass Boxer."

Sting clenched his fists. There were bands of tape encompassing both of his hands in order to lessen the chance of them from becoming damaged while he worked out. He was shirtless, his well-built upper body pulsating as he breathed in deeply and exhaled in the same manner. He closed his eyes. "It's not all about how strong you are physically with this kind of stuff, Auel. It's also how strong your mental fortitude is!" With lightning quickness, Sting struck the large punching dummy in front of him with a stiff right jab. The dummy reeled backwards and Sting hit it again with two left punches and a right hook. "If your mind is strong as well…then you stand a better chance of defeating your opponent."

There came a chuckle. "That won't do you much good on the battlefield."

Sting threw two quick right jabs and smiled. "Who says I was talking about the battlefield, Sabnak?" He threw several more punches without even glancing in Orga's direction. The older pilot was standing against one of the weight machines holding a paperback novel of some sort.

"In our positions, any conflict we should find ourselves in would usually involve a battle," he reminded Sting. "And that's completely different from your little sporting events."

"That's your own opinion on the matter." Sting stepped back a moment and rechecked his stance. He squatted down slightly and brought both of his fists in close to his chest. "In my eyes…mobile suit battles are almost exactly like boxing matches. It's you and your opponent, one on one. Mano-a-mano. Your best against his. You have to be in top physical shape to win in boxing. If you don't train constantly, your body will lose the feeling of what it was like to be in shape and become lazy. A lazy body will react with slower intuitions. That's a death-trap in boxing. It's the same with mobile suits. If you don't pilot them enough and practice…you'll only be setting yourself up to be killed in the upcoming battle."

He closed his eyes. He slowed his breathing and retreated deep inside his mind. "But it's not all about physical strength on the battlefield or in the ring. You also must be prepared mentally for a fight. If your mind is elsewhere, you become distracted when you should be concentrating. When you become distracted, you leave yourself wide open to attack. You have to be sharp all the time, or else the only thing you will receive in return is defeat." Sting was basically reciting the words that his boxing instructor had preached to him from the very first day he started fighting when he was a 13-year old punk living on the northern coast of the Orb Union. He had never been one to take school seriously and his parents had tried everything to get him to become a more dignified and thoughtful person. Boxing had given that to him. Every day he'd venture to the ring and spar with either an opponent or no one at all. Boxing was his nirvana. It was here that he could be alone with his thoughts, explore the deepest sectors of his mind, and feel every crevice of his body as he'd never be able to anywhere else. That was before everything became a blur in his life, but for some reason Sting could remember these feelings as if they were fresh in his mind. "Once your mental and physical strength is equal…there is not one opponent…you can stand in your way." Sting's eyes flashed open and he reached out with a powerful right hand jab that would have sent the dummy flying across the room if it wasn't hooked onto the rafters above him. The shot echoed throughout the room for several seconds. Afterward, the only sound that could be heard was Auel's impressed whistle.

"Who wrote that I wonder? Hemingway? Poe? Wolff?"

"Have some respect for the boxing arts, will you Sabnak?" Sting spat back.

Orga shut his book loudly. He slowly started walking towards Sting. "I never said I didn't respect your choice of sport, Oakley. I merely find it stunning that you would think to compare a sport to a contest of life and death." Orga stopped before him and looked directly into Sting's eyes. "A mobile suit battle is the most unpredictable form of combat ever conceived. There are so many things a battle can turn on that there is almost nothing you can do to prepare yourself for everything. Having strong mental and physical prowess is helpful in everyday life…but on the battlefield it's useless. Your enemy will come up with the most unorthodox, unheard of, and even impossible ways to kill you." Orga was speaking from his own first hand experience. It had been one of those unorthodox maneuvers that had almost gotten him killed two years earlier. "No matter how hard you train…no matter how hard you study…_nothing_ will give you a certain victory on the battlefield."

Sting smirked. "You sound like an old wise man."

Orga followed suit. "It's better than sounding like a young fool."

Auel didn't even see what happened from where he sat dumbfounded. Somehow, in literally the blink of an eye, Sting threw a right jab which Orga blocked with his left forearm. Orga also lunged forward with his right hand, but Sting caught it underneath his arm. The two stood there, eyes and arms locked, not saying a word. They were locked in a battle of their own, a philosophical one at that.

"It seems we're evenly matched," Sting hissed.

"So it would seem," Orga reiterated.

Sting's voice was like a serpent slithering across the ground. "We'll find out who's correct during the next battle, _sir_."

Orga chuckled slightly through his flared nostrils. "We will indeed, _boy_."

_**-Lord Djibril's Mansion, Madrid, Spain, 2300.**_

"Our ships have begun to sortie from the Lunar Base. Given the plans put forward by Admiral Thompson, they should be in position for the deadline tomorrow night."

Djibril sighed quietly through his nostrils. They blinked open at the sound of his cat purring gently at his feet. He reached down to scratch its forehead and said, "Very good. I'm impressed with how quickly this is going. Now then…when exactly will the attack commence?"

President Copeland thinned his lips. Djibril could see his shoulders sink a little. "It's not that easy, Djibril. Why must you be so impatient?"

"I'm merely asking because I want to have my equipment set-up at the right time." Djibril sounded hurt at Copeland's words. "You don't sound very calm yourself, Mr. President."

Copeland sighed. The image of his face in front of Djibril reflected his every mood. "The PLANTs continue to say they'd like to cooperate and have, in fact, gone to great lengths to satisfy our demands. Also, there are nations still voicing disapproval of our actions. To take forceful action at this point would…"

Djibril sighed audibly. "Well, well. The President of the mightiest nation on Earth suddenly has cold feet. I thought I told you and the others before. Once we get rid of the PLANTs…" Djibril's throat suddenly began to tighten and he lost his breath. His eyes began to burn and he felt his heart-rate suddenly spike. He tried to hide the onrushing pain from his face, but he let a little inkling of agony slip into his expression and Copeland saw it.

"Djibril? Are you alright?"

As his cat meowed up at him, Djibril thought it sounded concerned, he grasped his chest cavity with one hand and reached the other one behind him in order to search for his canister. "I'm fine…give me one moment…" His voice was becoming hoarse.

He struggled to grasp the canister filled with his liquid salvation and barely was able to hook the transparent tubes into the slots built into his wrist through his blurring vision. He felt the steroid begin to take its effect the moment it entered his veins. His heart-rate began to slow back down to its normal rate and his vision returned. He took several deep breaths and waited in silence for a moment. Finally, once his felt his strength returning, he spoke. "Sorry about that. Nothing unusual. Now…as I was saying, once we get rid of the PLANTs, things will calm down." Djibril could tell that Copeland was reluctant to spring into action so soon because of the ramifications that could follow. However, Djibril realized that those ramifications would be worthless once their objectives had been accomplished. "Once the Coordinators are no longer around, who in this world could possibly be against us? The Equatorial Union? The Kingdom of Scandinavia?" Djibril smirked. He knew who Copeland was afraid of. "Oh…you must be afraid of Orb…and even Eurasia, right?"

Copeland stammered. _He's thinking too hard about this_, Djibril told himself. "Those nations…well, yes."

Djibril chuckled. "You've already seen what Eurasia will bring to the table. They've joined the alliance. We no longer need to worry about them. And as for Orb…you're afraid of a tiny nation like that?" Djibril eyed the canister lying in his lap. More than half of the steroid had drained itself into his body. He needed to exhaust the entire canister or else he would be in incredible pain for the next few hours. _Guinea pigs are meant to feel pain. They're merely test subjects for people who want to play God._ Thinking back on what happened to him made Djibril snarl. He had been the first one, the first of many who were supposed to receive that treatment. And yet, as it turned out he'd been the only one the Coordinators had experimented on. When the results had not come out as planned, he'd been cast away like garbage not fit for living anymore. He hated the Coordinators for what they'd done to him. They'd literally made him into a mutant; a man who was no longer entirely a man; a man who depended on this sickening substance to keep himself sane.

"This world is a system," he began quietly. "So there is a need for people to build and people to manage. If you don't have people managing things, even the front lawn of your home can turn ugly. Everyone would prefer to plant their favorite trees, keep the grass green, and grow beautiful flowers on their lawn, right? They want to pull the weeds…but for them to also want to plant grass wherever they please? Is this really beauty? Is it really freedom?"

"Djibril…" Copeland said uneasily.

"All people like that sort of thing. Places and things that are well managed, and that are safe. Haven't people always made the effort to make the world that kind of place? By building cities, creating tools, and making rules. And now we have earned the chance to do this at a level unheard of before."

Djibril activated a switch beside his chair and brought forth another image to sit beside Copeland's. This one was of a nervous-looking news reporter standing in the middle of what could be described as an unruly mob of people. "I'm standing in the middle of Pushkin Square in downtown Moscow where the public has begun to demand answers from the government after the announcements were made during the past few hours. It has been confirmed that the Eurasian Federation will join the alliance drafted by the Atlantic Federation, but neither the Prime Minister or the Council have offered any incentive as to why. Also at this hour, reports are still unconfirmed, but there is information coming into our location that Premier Bradford has indeed gone missing. As I said, the public has come to Pushkin Square looking for answers, but they are finding very few once they arrive."

_So it did work. Gupta was more competent that I believed him to be._ "You've heard the news, Mr. President. Everything is in position for us to complete our plans. So let's quickly get rid of the Coordinators and hurry on to our next, enjoyable step." Djibril smiled. "To create a beautiful lawn for us, of Logos, to build the structure for our new world system!"

_**-Aprilius One, PLANTs, October 10, C.E. 73, 1000.**_

Athrun felt slightly out of place when the long, black limousine arrived at the shuttle depot to take him to the Government Offices. One of the Chairman's men had been waiting for him and had guided him into the long, sleek car and was now sitting across from him in the limousine's back-seat. "Would you like something to drink?" Gilbert's man asked.

"No thank you," Athrun said. _He didn't have to go to this extent to accommodate me._ "How do things look?"

"Not good at all, I'm afraid. The citizens of the PLANTs are furious." _Why doesn't that surprise me?_ Athrun wondered. He'd been informed of the alliance demands when his shuttle had arrived at Aprilius One's main commercial port. "The Chairman has said that he will continue negotiating to resolve this conflict through dialogue in order to reach a peaceful agreement, but…there are some who are beginning to interpret that intent as a sign of weakness."

"That's understandable."

He nodded. "I've told the Chairman of your arrival as a special envoy of Representative Athha and requested a meeting with him. But given the situation, I'm not sure if a meeting is possible."

"I understand." The interior of the limousine darkened as it entered a long tunnel. "He's meeting with the Supreme Council at this time, I assume."

"Yes.

At the same time, deep inside the PLANT Central Government Building, the twelve members of the PLANT Supreme Council once again sat together around the half-circular table. Many present felt that they'd been meeting far too often during the past few weeks.

"What you're looking at now is an exact copy of the demands presented to the PLANTs yesterday by the alliance led by the Atlantic Federation, obtained by the ZAFT Intelligence Department," Roske said in a narrative voice. He was at his usual seat to Gilbert's immediate left, with Eileen to his left and Tad Elsman, Orson White, George Adaman, and Ricardo Orff filling in the remaining spots to Gilbert's left. On his right-side were Generals Amalfi and Wolff, Ali Kasim, Louise Leitner, and Parnell Jessik, rounding out the Council's seated formation. "The list of demands can be found in paragraphs three through seven in their official wordings. The document also states that if we of the PLANTs do not cede to these demands, we shall be treated as a hostile nation to Earth and will force the alliance to deal with us by any means they see fit."

"That's completely out of the question, though," Wolff began in his usual terse voice.

"How can we word our response so that they'll understand?" White added.

"I doubt it'll make any difference, whatever you say," Roske put in.

"In my opinion, they sent these demands with absolutely no intention to negotiate or have us acknowledge them in the first place," Wolff said roughly. "If you ask me this entire document is merely a front to give them a reason to attack us."

"What I don't understand is this nonsense about arresting the terrorists and handing them over to the alliance?" Leitner said in her soft voice. "They still refuse to accept the details of our investigative report conducted by Representative Roske stating that the terrorists have all died! The Chairman and Representative Canaver saw that first hand!"

"Also, this compensation they're demanding," Orff added, "elimination of armament, dissolving the administration, Alliance observers on the Supreme Council? The fools are absolutely insane!"

Yuri sighed in his seat. "Naturally, they don't believe we'd accept these terms."

"I imagine these demands are brought forward by people itching to destroy the PLANTs and looking for an excuse to attack," Eileen added quietly.

"Exactly! They say we're enemies of Earth and nuisance in Space." Wolff's voice was continually rising the further he went along.

"All this is senseless! Does the Alliance really want to continue on this course and open hostilities with us?"

"If they do, they'll be the aggressors," Eileen added to Leitner's remark.

"The fact of the matter is, they are clearly saying they will, unless we comply with the demands!" Wolff glanced in Gilbert's direction. "Their Lunar forces were unharmed, and the areas worst hit were along the equator and the oceans. The Atlantic Federation and Eurasia are as healthy as they can possibly be. Should this escalate into a war, consumption will increase, and if the enemy is obvious, support for the cause will increase."

"That's always been human nature," Roske said.

"In my opinion we can't sit here idly and take the chance that they'll rescind these ridiculous demands for that very reason. Our forces are ready to move at a moment's notice. We have to mobilize to protect the PLANTs," Wolff demanded.

"I agree," Roske added. "We took a chance three years ago and it bit us. If the public finds out we're standing aside again and we get hit hard…the ramifications would be…unrelenting."

"However, we cannot simply refuse the demands outright without attempting to negotiate a peaceful resolution," Eileen broke in. "It would look as if we _want_ them to attack us."

"How would it be different if we stood aside?" Wolff demanded.

"Everyone," Gilbert said, trying to calm things down.

"If we show weakness, they'll trifle with us," Orff said.

"We have to quickly take steps to prepare for war," Tad put in.

"There's no time for that."

"Don't tell me there's no time-!"

"Everyone! Please calm down!" Gilbert's voice was louder than he meant it to be. Eventually everyone managed to calm down, even Wolff, and turned their attention to where Gilbert was seated at the head of the table. His face was set in stone as he spoke. "I understand how you all feel…but if we counter in a matter similar to what we did three years ago, we'll only be repeating things. No matter what the Alliance tells us, we must continue to search for a solution through negotiation. Unless we remain steadfast, we will not be doing justice to those people who lost their lives in the recent war."

Wolff's mouth twitched. "But the Earth Forces Lunar Base is already taking action. General Amalfi and I have already spoken to the heads of Fighter and Fleet command. Currently our forces are at Level Red."

"We didn't have much of a choice when we realized that much of the Earth Forces main fleet had already left the Lunar Base," Yuri added. The grim expressions of everyone else seemed to exemplify that piece of information's importance to the discussion.

"Naturally, we should be taking a counterattack stance," Wolff said.

A quiet murmur began to sweep up the room. Gilbert sighed. "If we deploy the military, it will likely cause a stir among the citizens and further incite the Earth Forces to attack us."

"But, sir-!" Wolff tried to interject.

Gilbert cut him off. "However, although it cannot be helped, the fear of Bloody Valentine still remains with us all." That brought the murmur in the room to a sudden halt. It was several more moments before Gilbert spoke again. "I'd like to leave decisions on defensive measures to the Defense Committee. General Amalfi, General Wolff. I want you to be in charge of the defense of the PLANTs." Both of his top military Generals nodded. "Ken, your Intelligence Staff will have to work around the clock to keep up with the latest intercepts. Don't leave anything uncovered." Roske nodded his head as well. "However, everyone. I want you all to remember that at the same time, we must continue to make every effort to resolve this issue through negotiations. Should this lead to hostilities with Earth, we'd be playing right into the hands of the ghosts who dropped Junius Seven. Please make certain that you do not forget that." Everyone around the table nodded in understanding.

The meeting disbanded several minutes later. When it was done, only Gilbert and Roske were left in the room. "You realize that it's almost impossible that a diplomatic solution will be found to this matter, Gilbert?" Roske asked.

Gilbert sighed. "I know. However…the fact that we at least made an effort to avoid hostilities will work in our favor in the future." He glanced at his friend. "I trust your men can handle all the information coming in?"

Roske smiled. "Have we ever failed you before?" Gilbert smiled. To this point, they hadn't.

Outside the cozy interior of the PLANTs, the ZAFT forces that had been lying dormant for over a year finally began to spring to life once again. One of these ships was the giant new battle carrier _Gondwana_, capable of carrying and transporting over one hundred mobile suits. At more than double the size of the standard _Nazca-_class vessel, it made the _Vesalius_ seem dwarf-like as the smaller ship pulled alongside it.

On the bridge, Yzak stood with his back to Ades with Dearka and Shiho standing quietly beside him. They looked on at the large carrier beside them and watched as GINNs, GuAIZs, and other mobile suits began to filter in and out of the carrier's huge hangar bays. "Man. It's hard to believe we can transport that many," Dearka commented.

"We're probably going to need them all if things go from bad to worse, Dearka," Yzak pointed out. "Remember, regardless of how good our forces are, we're still less than half the size of anything the Earth Forces send against us."

"Provided that they don't send more," Shiho added, offering her own views on the subject for once.

Yzak nodded. "Have you had any contact with General Amalfi or General Wolff, Captain Ades?"

"Nothing as of yet. There was an order to begin mobilization of the forces within our space, but other than that no orders have been given." Ades was mulling over the data passing before the console built into his captain's seat. "Then again, it's likely that the Council is still meeting to discuss the crisis."

"I doubt they'd take this long to figure out what they're going to do," Dearka said.

"Until orders are given I don't want any of our forces to take unnecessary action," Yzak said officially. "Dearka, have our pilots at stand-by and ready to board their mobile suits at thirty minutes notice. Shiho, I want you to make sure all of them are briefed on the situation; I'll join you once I receive official word on our course of action. Ades, keep the _Vesalius_ in check with the rest of the fleet. If worse comes to worse, I want our forces to be ready."

Dearka smirked. "Seems as if you've already come to the conclusion that they're going to attack us."

Yzak frowned and glared at him. "Don't say those words, especially now. We can't afford to make the same mistakes we made the last time. If we do…then the PLANTs are doomed."

_**-Minerva, Onogoro Island, Orb Union, 1400.**_

The _Minerva's_ hangar bay was traveling through time at a snail's speed. Sure, the technicians and other personnel inside the facility were going about their usual everyday tasks, but it was at a much more leisurely pace today. They had been moored in the Orb Union for the past two days with nothing much to do except make sure the repairs to the ship were completed. It wasn't odd to find the occasionally crewman or crewwoman loitering around any area of the ship letting the time pass them by.

The same could not be said for Shinn who was hard at work inside the cockpit of the Core Splendor. After his adventures onshore the day before, he'd made up his mind that he would work hard today to make sure that his abilities didn't erode. Yesterday had been rather relaxing; with the exception of the mark he still bore on his cheek from where that thug had hit him. Shinn knew however, that he could not carry that same attitude into today. It was these kinds of things that caused a soldier to let their guard down and that usually led to disaster.

Beside Shinn, Vino stifled a yawn while sitting on the Core Splendor's port wing with a computer console on his lap. "Who knew coming to a foreign land that's supposed to be a great place to relax could be so boring?"

"The more you complain, the more boring it will get," Shinn reprimanded him. "Check the coupling to the laser designator for the right arm, will you?"

"Sure." Vino watched as the data slowly scrolled across his monitor. He closed his eyes for a moment and then blinked them open. "How long do you think we'll be here?"

"Where?"

"In Orb, stupid. We came here to repair the _Minerva_ and I can understand that we'd want to stay here to replenish our supplies…but then what happens? Where will we go after this? Back to space maybe?"

"No one really knows for sure. You could say it depends on what the rest of the world does."

Vino sighed. "So our fate is going to be determined by people half-way across the world. That sounds optimistic." The conversation stopped momentarily. Shinn tested the Core Splendor's laser guidance system and made sure that it was operating to his liking. If it wasn't, if he found himself in a mobile suit battle, he couldn't call the other pieces of the Impulse over to him as quickly. "What do you think Orb will do?" Shinn glanced at Vino. He was lying back across the Core Splendor's wing with his head in his hands. "You don't think they'd really join with the Earth Forces…do you?"

Shinn concentrated back on his work in front of him. "I don't know. Frankly, I could care less what this nation does."

"But if they _do_ choose to join the Earth Forces, then that means we'd be in some pretty deep trouble. Then again, after seeing Princess Cagalli I really can't see her letting Orb join up with the Alliance."

"Never say never." Vino glanced at Shinn, but the red-coat was deeply involved with working on the fighter plane.

Vino checked his monitor again. Nothing had changed; data was slowly scrolling across the screen. "We could be at war at any time," he said darkly. "Just thinking about that makes this place we're in now seem…almost like a dream. But…the fact that we could be caught in an Alliance nation when a war starts…that makes it seem more like a nightmare."

"If we're caught in a tight spot, we'll just fight our way out," Shinn said. "We've fought our way out of difficult spots in the past week. Nothing out there says that we can't fight our way out of something like that."

"But the _Minerva's _a space-ship. Plus, we've never fought on Earth as it is. With the Earth Forces' superior numbers down here, we'll be at a disadvantage unless we can link up with the ZAFT bases around here."

"I thought I told you that it doesn't matter what the disadvantage is." Shinn stopped his work and glanced up at the ceiling. "We'll get out of here…I'll make sure we do. If anyone tires to stop us…" Shinn clenched his fist. "…I'll destroy them all!" That last phrase made Vino shiver. So much so that it took him a moment to gather his thoughts and concentrate back on his work.

_**-October 11, C.E. 73, 0000.**_

Around the globe and in space, every television, radio, computer, and news distributor was trained in on one location; the White House, Washington D.C. The Atlantic Federation President, Anthony Copeland, sat with his hands folded in front of him on his desk, his face a stern expression that seemed to be carved in stone, the illuminations of the city glowing behind him through the office's window, and a large Atlantic Federation flag visible off to his right. The image was all too familiar for this particular office, as it had been the location where many Presidents before him had spoken to the nation and world about the same issue that was now sweeping across the world.

"I must make an announcement to the people of the world," he began calmly, "about a very serious and unfortunate situation."

At the approximate edge of the L5 Colony Group, on the bridge of the _Agamemnon_-class heavy battleship _Eisenhower_, Earth Alliance General Koichi Hosogaya, commander of the 3rd Lunar Fleet, watched his leader with half of his attention, while the other half was directed at the message board that was currently bringing in his orders. Hosogaya was a savvy veteran of the past war, who had been one of the few survivors of the ill-fated 6th Fleet that had been devastated at the Second Battle of Jachin Due. A relatively short and stubby man with thin black hair and a larger than normal nose, Hosogaya did not fit the characteristics of a typical high-ranking military commander. However, what he lacked in stature, he made up for in intelligence. He was considered the best commander in all of the Far East.

One of the young enlisted men working the _Eisenhower's_ CIC reported to him. "Orders have arrived from the Lunar Base, General. 'Code Red. You are authorized to carry out the operation as planned.'" Hosogaya nodded to himself. He and his ships were heading into familiar territory. It had been just over two years since they'd last ventured to this exact point, on virtually the same mission. Hosogaya wondered if this time would be different.

Onboard the _Gondwana_, within the perimeters of the PLANTs, Yuri and Henry, standing atop the main observation platform of the battleship's gigantic CIC that was currently accommodating over seventy ZAFT personnel and serving as the Generals' command center, listened intently. Whatever Copeland said here, it would greatly influence the decisions the two of them would have to make in the coming days, or hours more than likely.

"General!" one of the enlisted soldiers called out to them. Just by the tone of his voice, Yuri could tell that the news wouldn't be good. It was happening again. Once again, he found himself in the middle of a war.

"We of the Alliance extended an olive branch to the PLANTs and declared that there would be no hostilities should they agree to cooperate with what we believed were fair and justified. However, we have to receive a response to our satisfaction."

The _Vesalius_ received the information from the _Gondwana_ only minutes after it was originally discovered. "Damn it," Dearka swore quietly.

"We're receiving orders to mobilize our forces immediately, Commander," one of the bridge crew reported to Yzak.

"Get the regular units ready to launch!" Yzak ordered. "Activate all reserve machines for battle as well. Get the _Vesalius_ moving, Ades. Dearka, Shiho, let's go!"

Inside his darkened office on Aprilius One, with fellow Council members Canaver, Roske, Leitner, and Elsman flanking him, Gilbert remained quiet as he took in the news. "The Earth Forces 3rd and 4th Fleets have entered our space. They're coming right for the PLANTs," Roske said, reading a message from the Yuri aboard the _Gondwana. _

"Put me through to General Amalfi," Gilbert said quietly. "Also, close all the city ports. Send a message to General Wolff and his forces as well. I'm giving them authorization to conduct the battle as they see it. We must protect the PLANTs at all costs!"

"Since the PLANTs continue to hide the criminals who took part in this unprecedented terrorist activity, we have found the government of the PLANTs to be a serious threat to Earth."

In Orb, this was one of the few occasions that the entire bridge crew of the _Minerva _was awake and on duty at this hour. Talia, Arthur, Roland, Meyrin, Bart, Ian, and Felix all looked on from the bridge's upper section. Talia's adams apple fluctuated as Copeland continued his speech, while everyone else wore an expression of utter disbelief. Talia leaned over to where Roland stood beside her and whispered, "Upgrade to Condition Yellow. Lock the ship down from all unauthorized personnel. No crewmen are to leave the ship until I say so." Roland nodded slowly.

Meyrin's voice echoed throughout the ship seconds later. "Condition upgraded to Yellow! Condition upgraded to Yellow! Changing ship's security status to B1. As of now, unauthorized personnel are prohibited from boarding the ship. All maintenance personnel proceed to your stations at once." Shinn sat up in his bunk and glanced from side to side as if he was searching for the reason for the change in ship status.

Lunamaria appeared in the doorway moments later, struggling to get her arms into the sleeves of her red coat. After Shinn asked what was happening, she responded, "We're at war!" Shinn's teeth clenched. Rey was already out of his bunk and heading for the door. Shinn got dressed and followed.

"Therefore we have given notice to the government of the PLANTs. As forewarned, the nations of the Earth Alliance will use force to eliminate this threat."

Cagalli somehow managed to contain her anger at the situation even after Copeland spoke those final, undisputable words. The rest of the Ruling Council sat around the table inside their meeting room at the Minister's Offices, including Unato and Yuna, in silence. _How could they?_ Cagalli wondered silently. _How could they do something like this?_

At Orb Fleet Command, Mwu was surrounded by his closed circle of military confidants, including Frank, Jackson, and General Marcus Todoka of the Navy. The only sound that any of them made was the quiet but persistent tapping of Mwu's fingers across the surface of his desk.

Underneath Onogoro, Grant and his fellow pilots watched Copeland's speech from the smoke-filled recreation room. Grant, Martin, Trent, and Sergeant Williamson were all holding lit cigarettes as they silently listened to the address. Grant had spent the day before doing one of three things: sleeping, working on his own part of the project, and practicing drills in the facility's simulators. This was his daily routine. Normally he would be asleep at this hour, but with things having gone from bad to worse, he found himself strangely wide awake now. As Copeland concluded his speech, Hector took a quick sip from his bottle of soda and slammed it down on the table before him with a frustrated thud.

In the living room of the Barkhesh home, all the residents, including the temporary ones, watched the speech on the television. Kira and Lacus sat together on one of the sofas, huddled close together, with Malchio in the room's lone easy-chair, while Murrue sat with her sister-in-law Natarle, with her hands guarding her swollen belly, on the sofa across from Kira and Lacus. Even though Natarle was supposed to remain in bed through the last month of her pregnancy, she was not going to sit idle and wait for someone else to fill her in on something as urgent as this. She was going to see this develop first hand. This could very well determine what the world would be like when her child was born.

_**-PLANTs, 0030.**_

"What's the status of the enemy fleet?" Yzak demanded as the _Vesalius' _mechanics put the finishing touches on his Slash ZAKU. Yzak would be the first of his unit to launch when their orders came, so he wanted to be briefed down to the very last detail on what they were facing.

"Approximately forty ships approaching the PLANTs from Area 9. Mobile suits have been deployed and it has been confirmed that many of them are carrying heavy weaponry. However, at this time we are unsure of what type the weapons are. We can only say that they are _not_ carrying nuclear weapons because the gamma frequencies given off by the missiles are no consistent with those of nuclear weapons."

_At least there's that._ Yzak didn't want to face the horror of having his homelands come within a split-second of being destroyed once again. However, even without nuclear weapons, the Earth Forces were clearly coming in for a huge first strike aimed at the PLANTs. "All units are to stand-by until orders to launch have been given," he told his unit. "Any orders from the _Gondwana_, Captain Ades?"

"A transmission came in from General Amalfi just now. He's giving orders to have every mobile suit available launch. Your group is going to be placed in Area 8 in case they break through Area 9. The 52nd and 73rd Mobile Suit Corps have already launched and they're heading out to meet the enemy as we speak."

"Dearka! Shiho! Do you copy?"

"Roger!" both of his subordinates said in unison.

"You're all set Commander!" one of the mechanics shouted to him.

Yzak tightened his restraints and sealed his helmet visor. As he maneuvered his ZAKU onto the _Vesalius'_ catapult, he clenched the controls tightly with his gloved hands. _So much for peace, I guess._ The hatch ahead of him slowly opened and the _Nazca_-class vessel's launch system came to life. Yzak waited until the board above him changed from Red, which meant abort launch, to Green, launch go. "Yzak Joule, Joule Team! Slash ZAKU, launching!" He relaxed into his cockpit seat and allowed the catapult to throw his ZAKU into space. Once he was clear of the ship, he took control of his unit and, after stabilizing its systems so that he could fly like he usually did, raced towards Area 8 ahead of him, and the battle that was waiting within it.

"Dearka Elsman, Joule Team! Gunner ZAKU, heading out!" Dearka and Shiho followed in Yzak's wake as did the rest of the mobile suit team.

No sooner had they left the _Vesalius_, the bridge of the ship received an urgent message from the _Gondwana_. "They're ordering us back from the frontlines?" Ades asked incredulously.

"That's what it says, Captain! Apparently command wants the _Vesalius_ to act as an escort for the _George Glenn_." _The _Glenn _You mean the Stampeder's operational?_ Ades could hardly believe it. According to reports that he had read, the new _Nazca_-class warship _George Glenn_, named for the very first Coordinator, was not supposed to be ready for deployment for at least another month. _They must have finished it quickly in case something like this happened_, he deduced. "Turn the _Vesalius_ around! We're heading back to point Alpha Omega! Get word to Commander Joule! Hurry!"

At the location known as Area 9, approximately 500 meters from the PLANTs, the lead units of the Earth Alliance mobile suit squadrons were rapidly approaching the defensive lines set up by ZAFT during the past day. Several squadrons of Dagger L units streaked towards an equal number of GuAIZ R and older GINN models, each group with weapons drawn. In a classic opening salvo scenario, both sides waited several moments for the other to fire the first shot, which would set everything into motion. It fell to the ZAFT units to fire that first shot, when it became apparent that the Earth Forces were getting perilously close to their homelands. The lead GuAIZ units unleashed a volley of missiles with anti-beam warheads that would deflect any beam shots that the Daggers would shoot at them. The missiles exploded in a succession of bright flashes that lit up the black space surrounding the mobile suits.

The Daggers breached the lights and came face to face with the guns of the ZAFT mobile suits. All at once, everything seemed to break loose. GuAIZ units used their beam rifles to destroy several of the lead Daggers while the Daggers used their rifles to the same effect. Things only got more hectic when the next waves of both sides reached the fray. GINNs withdrew their steel swords and cut into the torsos of the Daggers, slicing apart the mobile suits and causing subsequent explosions when the mobile suits' systems failed altogether. Much the same, the Daggers used their beam sabers to mangle the ZAFT mobile suits with equal efficiency and deadliness.

While the Earth Forces mobile suits went straight at the defensive lines ZAFT had built, several GuAIZ units managed to break through the stalemate and reach the front lines of the Earth Forces assault fleet. This was part of the strategy that had been adapted to the defense of the PLANTs. The warships were the biggest threat to the PLANTs at this moment, with their heavy guns being able to easily tear through the outer barriers. Hosogaya ordered his ships to return fire, but the quick ZAFT mobile suits were able to evade most of the anti-air fire and get in close to cause heavy damage to several of the Earth Forces ships. One GuAIZ used its rifle to pepper a _Drake_-class ship and put several holes into the side of the vessel which caused air to disperse from the vessel. In that units wake, flew a brightly colored, brand new, orange GOUF Ignited mobile suit. This unit actually flew into one of the holes the GuAIZ had blown into the vessel and unleashed a powerful blast with its own rifle, virtually disemboweling the ship. The GOUF barely managed to escape intact from the warship before it exploded in a breath-taking, but deadly explosion.

Yuri and Henry directed the defensive lines from their positions deep inside the _Gondwana's_ CIC. With news coming in from all over the battlefield, they had all they needed to direct the battle as they saw fit. "The 52nd and 73rd have engaged the enemy mobile suits at Area 9! The 44th Battalion has penetrated and is now engaging the enemy fleet!"

Henry blinked. "Tell the 7th _Nazca _Division to move forward to Area 9 and engage the enemy fleet. The 3rd _Laurasia _Division will fill the hole in the lines."

"Enemy mobile suits have breached point Red Beta, Nine Charlie. They've reached the second-line!"

"Have the Joule and Crockett teams go and intercept them!" Yuri ordered. "Tell the rest of the mobile suits that they are not to let a single unit pass Area 8 and get close to the PLANTs!"

"They're targets are likely our military command structure and Aprilius One," Henry observed. "If we keep this up we just might be able to halt them here."

"What's the status of the patrol units in Area's 2, 4, and 6?" Yuri asked.

"They've reported nothing!"

"It's still early though," Henry added roughly. "Tell them to keep their eyes open!"

At Area 9, Yzak piloted his ZAKU through the blistering laser fire zipping past his cockpit in every direction. He approached a group of Dagger and swung his beam axe at one of them, taking the unit's right leg off and sending it flying away with an equally swift right kick. The other units caught sight of him and, as they opened fire on his mobile suit, Yzak slowly backed away, peppering the other Daggers with his shoulder cannons. He managed to destroy one of the Dagger's beam rifles and then one of his other pilots swept in and blasted the Dagger apart with its beam rifle. Dearka took out another one with his Gunner ZAKU's long-range rifle, but another of Yzak's team wasn't so lucky. One of the GuAIZ's, after successfully disarming one of the Daggers with its rifle, was caught in between two others and ended up receiving a rifle shot to the torso, the GuAIZ becoming an inferno only seconds later. "Damn it!" Yzak swore. "What are these guys doing? They're just attacking from the front and not doing anything else!"

"Yeah, you'd at least think they'd have something else up their sleeve," Dearka commented.

"But remember, we can't be sure about anything on the battlefield," Shiho reminded them in her calm voice.

Yzak nodded. "Keep your ears open for reports from the scout units! Something bad could happen at any moment!" Yzak did not realize just how accurate his assessment was.

Safely concealed behind several asteroids in the sector known as Area 4, Admiral Chuck Thompson's secret assault fleet, waited in complete and utter silence. They watched the initial assault go nowhere, as they expected it to. A soldier by trade from the Atlantic Federation, who yearned for combat every waking second, Thompson was delighted when word from Hosogaya finally reached his flagship, the _Agamemnon-_class warship _Razor_. It read: "The 3rd and 4th Fleets have occupied the attention of the Coordinator defenses. You now have the window to execute your part of the operation. Happy hunting."

Thompson smiled. "Alright. _Razor_, all ships move out!" He felt the warship around him begin to slowly emerge from its hiding spot and propel itself towards the battlefield, which was now easily seen directly ahead and to his right. "Deploy the Windams! Make sure that every warhead has been armed! We don't want to waste a single one." From the hangars of the ten warships in Thompson's assault fleet sprang eight squadrons of twelve new Windam mobile suits, each with a specially modified missile launcher on each shoulder. Within these launches were the missiles which would hopefully deliver Earth's vengeance upon the people who had tried to destroy it only a week before.

Thompson opened a line with every Windam and warship under his command. "The time has come. We will teach the Coordinators, once and for all, that there is no place for them in this blue and pure world." With no opposition in front of them, the Windams proceeded towards the PLANTs without haste. Thompson couldn't have been more elated as he watched the Windams race unopposed towards their destination. He ran a finger through his thick sideburns and smiled. "Now we've got you…" he murmured quietly.

Unbeknownst to Thompson or the Windam pilots who were now approaching the PLANTs seemingly unopposed, there was an unforeseen pawn watching them. One of the GINN Recon Units that Yuri had ordered out to the other Areas around the PLANTs was sitting behind a lone asteroid, watching Thompson's ships and mobile suits begin their move. Utilizing the surveillance equipment his mobile suit was equipped with, the pilot quickly took footage of the Earth Forces ships and mobile suits and counted them quickly. He counted at least ten warships and over ninety new model mobile suits. The pilot began to transmit his message to the _Gondwana_, but before he could finish, something else caught his attention. He enlarged the image of the lead Windams so he could see them more clearly and what he saw literally took his breath away. There were missiles latched to the Windams' shoulders, and not just any missiles. "Nuclear weapons…" the pilot stammered to himself. "The bastards…"

Yuri was looking over the shoulder of one of the soldiers on the platform, analyzing the impact of the battles currently ongoing. "Have the Hill and Villeneuve Teams go back-up the Joule and Crockett Units at Area 9. Keep the others back in Area 8. That will be our last line in case they break through the defenses."

"I'm going to have the _Nazca's_ proceed ahead and try to break through the lines," Henry told him. Yuri nodded his approval.

This was a clear demonstration of both General's ways of thinking. Yuri was a conservative commander who preferred to use a strong defense to stifle his opponent's offensive and then slowly wear down the opponent until they could fight no longer. By sending in more mobile suit squadrons, he was hoping to break the offensive of the Earth Forces mobile suits and force them to regroup, thereby giving the ZAFT units a chance to retaliate. Henry meanwhile, was a more aggressive military commander, who preferred aggressive and risky maneuvers in order to cripple an opponent. His specialty was the command and organization of battleships, which was why he was the number 2 in the Defense Department behind Yuri. However, Henry was careful never to be over-aggressive. He would always keep several of his best units out of the heavy fighting so that in case something bad happened, they would be in position to join the fight.

"Message incoming from Recon Unit 2 in Area 4." Both Generals glanced in the direction of the woman who was reading the message from the communications station. If a scout unit was sending a message from an area that was supposed to be devoid of enemies, this message was not likely bringing good news. "Separate force of Earth Forces ships sighted approaching from point Green Alpha, Five-Nine. Ten warships of _Agamemnon_ and _Nelson_ classes, over ninety unknown mobile suit types carrying…" The woman's eyes widened. "Mark-5 nuclear warheads?!"

Yuri closed his eyes tightly and bit his tongue, not wanting to say anything that he would regret. Henry on the other hand, twitched his mouth and cursed the Earth Forces. "The bastards. I knew they wouldn't resist the chance to destroy us!"

"Have the reserve mobile suit units from Area 8 go and intercept them!" Yuri ordered professionally.

"Send the warships there immediately as well!" Henry stalked over to one of the consoles on the platform and peered into it. "What's the status of the _Vesalius_?"

"It's reached the rendezvous point along with the _Nightcrawler_. The _Glenn _will be ready to launch in a few moments."

"Tell the _Glenn_ to get into position facing Area 4 as quickly as they can! Tell to begin the process of firing the Neutron Stampeder!"

Yzak was still amidst the combat at Area 9 when word of the approaching Windams reached his ZAKU. He used his shoulder cannons to tear apart an enemy Dagger unit and craned his neck in the direction of Area 4, which is when he first saw the Windams closing in on the PLANTs. "Damn it!"

"They're loaded with nuclear warheads!" Shiho said. She encircled the Dagger she was currently engaging and darted in close to the enemy. She used her ZAKU's beam tomahawk to amputate the Dagger's right leg and then blasted it through the torso with her rifle. "They'll destroy the PLANTs!"

Dearka fired his long-range rifle and literally incinerated another Dagger in one powerful shot. "Then these guys we've been fighting are all decoys?"

"Son of a…! All units get to Area 4 now! Don't let a single missile hit the PLANTs!" Yzak shouted. He gunned his ZAKU's engines and raced towards Area 4 as quickly as his mobile suit would take him.

The distance between the two groups of mobile suits was too great however, and the Windams were getting closer to their desired firing range by the second. Yzak zipped through anti-air fire and shot at the Windams with his shoulder cannons, but he was at too great a distance. _Damn! I can't get there in time!_

The lead Windam pilot lined up his target bracket on Aprilius One and smiled. "Okay, get them! This time for sure, for the preservation of our blue and pure world!" He pressed his firing trigger and sent both of his nuclear warheads on a collision course with the PLANT capital. The Windams behind him followed in the same manner and soon over one hundred missiles were streaking towards the suddenly vulnerable PLANTs.

Yzak continued firing his cannons and Dearka chipped in with a few shots from his rifle, but the distance between them and the missiles was still too great to overcome. "Shit…!" Yzak swore.

"Commander!"

"Ades?" Yzak would recognize the _Vesalius'_ Captain's voice anywhere because he had served with him for so long.

"Get away from the missiles, Commander! The _Glenn's_ going to fire the Neutron Stampeder!"

"The Neutron Stampeder?" Yzak said, breathless.

"Yzak, you heard him, get the hell out of the way!" Shiho called out to him. Yzak finally managed to compose himself and follow the rest of his unit towards a safe location above the PLANTs. He never took his eyes off of the missiles below him and he witnessed everything that happened next.

With her sister _Nazca_-class ships _Vesalius_ and _Nightcrawler_ acting as escorts, the new _Nazca_-class vessel _George Glenn_, slowly moved within range of the nuclear missiles that were now heading directly towards her position. The ship's captain was calm as he gave out his orders to not only his ship, but the two escorts as well. "All systems, status normal. Quantum fresnel terminals one through five, multiple contacts online. Operation time, five seconds. Grid is tracking targets. We have only one chance at this, so bring them in as close as possible! Got that?"

"Yes, sir!"

On the _Razor_, one of the bridge crew suddenly broke the calm silence that had reigned over the ship since the launch of the Windams. "Three _Nazca_-class vessels at Red 22 Beta! However, one vessel is loaded with unknown equipment!" Thompson's elated facial expression suddenly disappeared. In its place was one replaced by confusion and shock.

On the bridge of the _Vesalius_, Ades and the bridge crew listened and watched as the _George Glenn_ began the activation of ZAFT's newest anti-air weapon. "Pre-charge, online. Activating Neutron Stampeder." The _George Glenn_ was modified with new anti-air equipment mounted onto both of the ship's claws and nose. The largest of these pieces was a good fifty yard tower connected to the ship's nose with twelve quantum fresnel terminals which were designed to spread anti-radiation particles into a large area ahead of the ship, thereby eliminating all nuclear fission combinations, including nuclear warheads. "Fire Neutron Stampeder!"

"Firing!" The _George Glenn_ suddenly seemed to lurch forward as the components of the Neutron Stampeder slowly came to life. With the nuclear missiles now almost directly on top of them, the twelve terminals began to glow bright yellow as the anti-radiation particles began flowing through them. In one mighty blast that shook the _Glenn_ and the two _Nazca's_ beside her, the Neutron Stampeder fired its blast.

The wave of anti-radiation particles swept over a wide area directly ahead of the ship and spread to every nuclear missile that had been fired by the Windams. As the particles swept into the circuitry of the missiles, the nuclear fission going on inside of them suddenly ceased and caused each missile to collapse in a brilliant explosion of bright lights that enveloped every missile that had been launched. The PLANTs were suddenly illuminated in bright blue as they now sat against a backdrop of bright white. However, the carnage did not stop there. Every Windam, they had all remained in relatively the same position after launching their missiles was caught up in the anti-radiation attack and their own forms were also overcome by the blast, leaving none of the new models intact. Thompson watched the surge of particles race directly towards the _Razor_. He said nothing and did nothing. It was almost as if he had lost his entire will to fight as he felt the surge overcome his ship and those around him. In one successive explosion after another, caused by the collapse of every reserve nuclear missile stored within the ships, every warship in the Earth Forces' secret Assault Fleet was obliterated.

Yzak and the rest of his squadron watched breathless at the scene below them. "What…what just happened?" Yzak wondered out loud.

Inside his office on Aprilius One, Gilbert and his advisors watched the explosions slowly burn out on the view screen on his wall. "All nuclear missiles have been destroyed," he heard Yuri say over the open com that Gilbert had been speaking to him over. "The nuclear attack force has been completely eliminated." Both Leitner and Eileen breathed an audible sigh of relief while they both sat on the comfortably-backed sofa inside his office. Roske stood beside Gilbert's desk and gave his leader a congratulatory smile, which Gilbert half-heartedly returned.

"The Stampeder's quantum fresnels have melted and activated the breaker. The system has now stopped functioning."

"Quite the heart-stopper, wasn't it?" Roske said lightly.

"I'm relieved that the Stampeder made it in time," Leitner admitted.

"But it will only work once. They'll know better the next time," Eileen reminded them all.

Gilbert nodded his head solemnly. He thought of both of his children on Earth and wished them strength during this trying time. "I just hope this'll put an end to things. At least for now."

_**-Lord Djibril's Mansion, Spain, 0200.**_

The last thing Djibril heard through the wireless ear-piece placed inside his right ear, through which he had listened to the entire battle as it played out, was the sound of a hysterical military official on board one of Hosogaya's ships contacting the Lunar Base after the failed assault on the PLANTs. "That's right! The nuclear assault on the PLANTs was a failure. Every one of the secret assault ships and mobile suits were obliterated by an unknown weapon the Coordinators threw at us. General Hosogaya has ordered a full retreat back to the Lunar Base. The 3rd and 4th Fleets will return to the base immediately and await further orders from the high command."

Djibril's heart sank. He was not angered by the decision to retreat back to the Moon; quite frankly he believed that it was the correct move after the failure of the nuclear attack. He was more disappointed than anything else. His best opportunity to destroy the PLANTs and eliminate the Coordinators had clearly come to pass. The Earth Forces would have to regroup and hopefully they would be able to launch another assault on the PLANTs within the next few weeks. But Djibril also knew that there would be more serious questions arising within the next few days. The best chance to capitalize on the vengeance filled atmosphere after the drop of Junius Seven had passed. _So the game begins anew,_ Djibril thought to himself. He removed the ear piece from its position inside his ear and set it down beside him. _The initial offensive has ended. Now the game will really begin. _Djibril fixed himself a glass of coconut rum and let its burning sensation scald his throat. _In war, after the initial aggressor is turned back, there is usually a period of uncertainty and stalemate. I have to make that this doesn't happen. And I have a good inclination to believe…that my esteemed adversary…will do the same…_

_**-Orb Minister's Office, 0200.**_

Despite Yuna's best efforts to stop her, Cagalli stormed out of the meeting room in a flight of blinding rage and sorrow. She threw the door open loudly and stalked past crowds of advisors and other officials of the government who cast extraordinary glances at her as she walked quickly past. _I can't believe they actually did that!_ _How could they?!_

After traversing nearly the entire length of the Minister's Office, Cagalli eventually reached her own office located in a far corner of the building. She slammed the door shut behind her, tore her maroon jacket off and threw it across the room, and sank into her chair. She stared at the marble ceiling above her and let her mind reel. _How could they…? After everything we did…everything we went through…everything that…_ Cagalli harkened back to the horror's she experienced during the last war. She saw friends, like Ahmed, her friend from Africa who had been crushed by a ZAFT BuCUE, Mayura, Asagi, and Juri, her friends in the mobile suit corps who had died during the Second Battle of Jachin Due, and of course her father, the Lion of Orb, Uzumi Nara Athha. He had worked endlessly to keep Orb out of the carnage of the last war and had died in pursuit of that goal. What would he have thought of what had just occurred. He would be disgusted like she was, no doubt. After everything that had been done during the last two years to promote peace, it had all fall apart in a span of a week and two days. Cagalli felt the warm streaks of liquid begin to cascade down her cheeks, and she did nothing to stop them. Laying her head down onto her folded arms, Cagalli let all her emotions seep out of her, and wept.

_**-Orb Military Command, 0200.**_

The individuals inside Mwu's office slowly began to file out once the final report from the battle had come in. Frank was the last to leave the General's office, but before he left, he made sure he patted his old friend on the back. "Don't worry about it, buddy. We'll deal with this later. Go home, see your wife and boy, and get some sleep, okay?" Now, Mwu sat quietly in the darkness of his office and contemplated the monumental decision that had only gotten even more foreboding as a result of the battle. If he chose one way, he would end up putting his family and self in great danger. If he chose the other, he would be placed in a position of direct contrast to where his heart and mind were telling him he had to be. It was an agonizing decision.

Mwu blinked his blue eyes and reached for the photo of his wife and son that was sitting on his desk. He ran his fingers gently across their faces and his heart sank. _Why did I choose to get involved in stuff like this?_ he asked himself. He stared at the photo of his family for almost an hour, while his mind contemplated his next move. Finally, he placed the photo back onto his desk and stood up gingerly. His back and legs ached from a lack of rest and his head felt dizzy as he started to walk around. _I have to talk to Murrue._ He had made his decision.

_**-Minerva, 0230.**_

"They fired nuclear missiles at the PLANTs?!" The _Minerva's_ number 3 lounge was suddenly swamped with an endless stream of commotion. Meyrin knew that once she broke the news to everyone else, there would be unrest, but she didn't anticipate it on the level which she was now witnessing and hearing.

"How could they do something like that?" Vino asked no one in particular.

"Those bastards probably didn't even give us a chance to negotiate," Yolant added.

"Why would they do something so stupid like that in the first place?" Lunamaria wondered.

"They're all racist ass-holes probably!" Vino shouted.

"Enough!" Rey called out in his deep voice. It settled the commotion down somewhat, but there was still a cloud of unrest and deep hurt over the entire affair. "What's done is done. We know where the rest of the world stands now. We have to move on and keep a level head in this situation!"

Something crashed behind him and every eye suddenly was upon Shinn and the chair he had just kicked over. "What's there to think about?" he shouted. "The Earth Forces just told us what they think of us! To them we're nothing more than outlaws!"

"Shinn!"

"As far as I'm concerned, the entire Earth Alliance can go to hell!" With that said, Shinn stormed out of the lounge without another word.

His anger was still boiling as he quietly stalked his way back to his quarters. _Those damn bastards picked a fight with the wrong people. If I get my hands on them I swear I'll gut every last one of them!_ He thought of his sister Mayu and wondered what she would have thought of all this. Shinn was still fuming when he arrived back at his quarters and sealed the door behind him with an effective thud.

**END PHASE-11**


	13. Phase 12 Unexpected Turns

**Phase-12 Unexpected Turns**

_**-Aprilius One, October 11, C.E. 73, 1000.**_

Cool streams of purified water rolled down his face as Athrun braced himself against the sink with both of his hands. He looked into the green eyes of his own reflection in the mirror and frowned. _What am I doing here?_ he asked himself. _The Chairman's probably booked for the rest of the week because of what's happening. Why did I think I could suddenly barge in and demand a portion of his time?_ It had been a full day since he'd arrived at Aprilius and it had been a full day of waiting and pondering whether or not Gilbert would actually be able to meet with him. After breakfast this morning, Athrun had returned to the plaza near the government offices where Gilbert's man had deposited him yesterday and told him to wait for Gilbert to arrive. As he began to walk up a flight of stairs that would lead him to the plaza, Athrun wondered whether or not that proclamation would prove to be true.

"Yes, don't worry. I know that. How much time do we have?" Athrun stopped suddenly in the middle of his ascent. _What the…? _The voice he had heard was high-pitched and chirpy, bundled in a spirit of endless enthusiasm. _Was that…? No, it couldn't be._ Athrun began to climb to the top of the stairs and emerged back into the seemingly empty plaza. All around him were small shops and hotels that were used by the PLANT government workers; they were in a formation that mimicked a shopping mall with different levels, stairs, and even water fountains every once in a while if one looked carefully enough. "Then we have time to check things over once more, right?" As Athrun reached the top of the stairs, he stopped again, and this time he glanced in every direction, trying to find where the voice was coming from. Just hearing it _here_ of all places brought chills to his spine. _Lacus?_

"HARO. HARO. Are you okay?"

_You've got to be…_ When Athrun saw her standing at the top of another set of stairs just ahead of his current position, his mouth literally dropped. Her long pink hair was joined by a bright yellow hair-band just above her left ear, her blue eyes were still the color of the ocean, and her smile was still the brightest thing he'd ever seen. Coupled with the voice he had just heard, it looked as if it were actually Lacus Clyne at the top of the stairs. Athrun had to try. "Lacus?"

The girl turned her head to the right to look down the stairs at the person who had just called out to her. The two men in gray suits beside her also glanced down in his direction. The girl suddenly began smiling brightly when she saw who it was. "Athrun!" As she bounded down the stairs, Athrun could find no words that would describe the situation. She sprinted across the plaza as quickly as her high-heeled shoes would allow her and bounded into his arms like a toddler reuniting with an old friend. "Oh, I'm so glad! You finally came to see me!" _Uh…what?_ She was just like Lacus: cheerful, optimistic, beautiful, the girl who had attracted the eye of every man in the PLANTs. There were some differences however, and Athrun was quick to put them to memory. First off, Athrun knew that the real Lacus Clyne was still in Earth; Kira would not have let her go to the PLANTs without him. Plus, there was the fact that her chest was slightly…expanded.

"What are you…doing here?" Athrun managed to ask the girl after taking her out of his embrace.

The girl smiled. "I've been waiting for such a long time…for you to come and see me!" _Wait a minute…if there's a look-alike here…then that could mean that he…_

"Miss Lacus." Both of the girl's bodyguards had joined her on the plaza, along with the red HARO that had continued its playful, mechanical banter throughout the entire conversation. It didn't look like one of the one's that Athrun had built for the real Lacus over the years; this one's voice was of a higher pitch and it bounced to a noticeably higher height.

The girl nodded. "Oh, yes. I understand." She turned back to Athrun. "See you later. It's so great to see you. I'm thrilled, Athrun." As she walked away, Athrun kept repeating the same questions that had festered inside of his mind ever since he had first heard her voice. _Who is she? Why is she here? What's going on at this place?_

"Alex?" Athrun turned his head in the other direction and saw a more welcoming sight. Gilbert and three well-dressed members of his entourage had just entered the plaza. "Oh, right. I'm supposed to be meeting with you. I'm terribly sorry to keep you waiting for so long."

"Oh, it's okay. Um…"

Gilbert tilted his head. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

Athrun blinked. "No. It's nothing." _Did he really do all this?_ Athrun glanced behind him quickly, but the girl was already gone.

"Well, then. Why don't we go to my office and see what you have on your mind," Gilbert suggested. Athrun nodded. "I've been looking forward to seeing you again, Alex. I think we have much to discuss." Athrun nodded again. Without speaking another word, he allowed Gilbert to lead him towards the government offices.

_**-PLANTs, 1100.**_

It had been over nine hours since the Earth Forces launched the initial assault on the PLANTs and the war began. However, up until this point, the PLANT government and military had been very careful handling the situation, letting few precious details about the assault slip out to the local media outlets out of fear that they would drive the civilian population into a frenzy. But now, with the enemy ships retreating and the PLANTs once again relatively safe, the news could not be held back any longer. Slowly, word began to circulate on all of the PLANTs. Local news stations began broadcasting the first images of the battle early that morning. Included among the images, were the first shots of nuclear missiles being fired towards the PLANTs for the fourth time in a period of three years.

"The PLANT Supreme Council has deemed this attack a serious and unlawful violation of the Coordinators right to exist. Last night's attack on the PLANTs by the Earth Forces was met with resistance from the ZAFT Forces, resulting in a great number of casualties on both sides. The two forces are currently situated in orbit, in a hostile standstill position. At a conference just moments ago, PLANT Supreme Council Representative Kenneth Roske of Quintilis had this to say regarding the attack."

Roske's image then appeared on many of the television and news outlets around the PLANTs. His unique, pure golden orbs were almost sad as he spoke plainly. "We of the PLANT Supreme Council have hereby condemned this gutless attack on our sovereignty. The ZAFT defense forces successfully neutralized the nuclear threat to the PLANTs and we are now considering the danger to the homelands significantly less than it was. Currently, the Council is in temporary recess, but it will reconvene later tonight to discuss the PLANTs' response to this cowardly attack by the Earth Forces."

"Once again, our top news. Last night, the nations of the Earth Alliance, led by the Atlantic Federation, declared war on the PLANTs, and staged a nuclear missile attack a mere one hour after the declaration. However, in an act of defense, under the command of Supreme Council Chairman Dullindal, and National Defense Committee Chairman Amalfi, ZAFT forces succeeded in destroying the attacking forces at the final line of defense. The Earth Forces have retreated to their Lunar Base, and the attack has ended, but the mood in the PLANTs continues to be very tense."

"A nuclear attack?!"

Gilbert closed his eyes and nodded slowly. "Yeah." Athrun stood bolt upright as he took in the news inside Gilbert's office. This had once been the place where Athrun's father, former Supreme Council Chairman Patrick Zala, had ruled the PLANTs. It had also been the place where Athrun had been shot by his father, but that was a memory that he would rather forget. Gilbert hadn't changed much about the office in the time he'd been there, so it still had an element of familiarity for Athrun. Gilbert's voice had a trickle of melancholy in it as he continued. "I'd like to think it didn't happen myself. But it's a fact."

The view screen inside Gilbert's office was tuned in to one of the local news outlets that was now focusing in on the civilian reaction to the attack. Everyone from businessmen, shopkeepers, taxi drivers, and housewives was weighing in on the situation. Many citizens were visibly shocked and somewhat angered by the reaction of the Earth Forces, and to a certain extent, the PLANTs themselves.

"I can't believe it."

"An outbreak of war?"

"And then a nuclear attack, again? How could they?"

"But no warnings were issued ahead of time! Why?"

"What was the Council doing, allowing this to happen?"

"Imagine if even one of those missiles had hit us!"

"What will happen to us now?"

"We have to strike back!"

"You can't be serious. I don't want another war! We can't go through that again!"

"But it can't be helped! If we don't do anything, they'll fire at us again!"

"We have no choice but to fight!" Athrun took in all of the people's words with a heavy heart. This scene seemed all too familiar to him. He had been among the civilian population reacting in outrage and sadness to the Bloody Valentine tragedy in C.E. 70, the nuclear attack that had killed Athrun's own mother. If things continued like this, things wouldn't be any different, which would only lead to more tragedy and sadness in the days and months to come.

Gilbert sat down in one of the cushioned chairs in the middle of his office. "Have a seat, Alex."

Athrun snapped his head towards, Gilbert, and the Chairman sighed. "It's over for the time being. Relax." Athrun paused for a moment and then sighed. He made his way over to the chair directly opposite from Gilbert and sat down sloppily.

"Thank you," he said.

Gilbert nodded. "Although this wasn't completely unexpected, it's still a great shock. For them to force through a declaration of war the way they did…and then immediately fire nuclear weapons at us. It's quite overwhelming when one considers that we just went through all of this two years ago, and then pledged never to fall into circumstances such as this again." Athrun frowned. Gilbert added, "They're not even following the normal course of action to declare war. But…to follow it up with…" Gilbert almost seemed angry as he continued. "You can't even call this a true war!"

Athrun nodded. "Right. What's the current status of the situation?"

"The Alliance has withdrawn its troops for the time being, but I can't imagine they'd completely abandon their plans just yet. In contrast, it's our side that's in a state of panic. It's the last thing we want, but consider the fact that nuclear weapons were shot at us, again."

"Yes."

"The situation is even graver than it once was. Unless we take action quickly, things will spiral out of control and the PLANTs will be engulfed by complete chaos. In other words, our problems have just begun."

"What are you going to do?" Athrun asked. "The PLANTs, I mean." Athrun was uneasy as he spoke. "After this attack, with them declaring war against you…what steps do the PLANTs intend to take to cope with this?"

Gilbert folded his hands. "The Council will reconvene tonight to determine that. I've sent the individual members back to their home PLANTs for the day to help keep the people calm and make sure that the local officials are well briefed on the situation. Coupled with the fact that General Amalfi and General Wolff are still at the frontlines, for the time being, we haven't made a decision on what we will do. I've made it clear to them that I won't make a decision until everyone has had a chance to share their own views on the situation."

"You'll make the final decision yourself, right?"

"Yes." Gilbert said, "My preferred way of doing things is to listen to everyone who has a viable opinion on the subject, consult with the proper authorities who had advanced knowledge on it, and then make a decision based on their opinions. However, I usually always save the final decision for myself, even if it means going against what those people say." He paused. "You yourself are someone who I consider to have advanced knowledge on a situation such as this, Alex."

Athrun looked startled. "Me…Mr. Chairman?"

"Yes. You witnessed this very situation up close during the last war and you fought during it. You also have experience working with people of high rank."

"If you mean, Representative Athha…I'm merely serving as her bodyguard on diplomatic missions," Athrun said, trying to be humble.

"Even so. You still have a vast amount of experience and I consider that to be an important asset. So, I'm going to ask you plain and simple right now: what do you think we of the PLANTs should do?"

"I…I'm not sure…" Athrun admitted. Regardless of what Gilbert said, he didn't think that he held enough experience to be able to determine what a nation should do in a scenario that was proving to be so unpredictable.

Gilbert sighed. "I sense that you have an inclination about what we should do…but you also sound reluctant to voice that opinion." Athrun stirred slightly. "If we retaliate against them for their attack, the world will once again be forced into the quagmire of war. I know that much. Based on my own personal experiences on the frontlines of the last conflict, it's not something I would want to see again. I saw far too many casualties during my service. Needless to say, I'd rather avoid that if at all possible." Gilbert was being very circumspect about the situation. He had been the Commodore in charge of the Jachin Due space fortress during the last war, the sight of the final battle of the war, in which Jachin Due itself had been destroyed. Gilbert lowered his voice. "But we can no longer deny what's happening out there. If the citizens found out that we're hiding things from them, they would cry out in anger. It will be hard for them to forgive our enemies for what they have done to us. As the second hand ticks toward another major war, what can we do to stop that second hand from ticking? The fact is, we've already been fired at a second time, _with _nuclear weapons! So then…what do you suggest we do, Alex?

Athrun thought about it for a few moments. "However…but still…" He couldn't find the right words to answer. Gilbert had set the situation up to the point where it seemed that Athrun would have to speak directly from his soul. He trusted him to voice his own opinion on a monumental matter that he didn't even believe he was qualified to. Finally, he held his breath and said quickly, "Please reconsider, Mr. Chairman!" _There you go, Zala. You've gotten yourself into this, now you've got to go forward. No turning back now._ Athrun slowed his words and spoke from his heart. "If we continue firing at each other in anger and hatred, we're all doomed! I learned that the hard way on the battlefield. If we fire at each other now, the world will once again be nothing but a place for battles, with nothing to gain! We can't do that again…so please…don't let that happen again!"

Gilbert had remained silent, allowing Athrun to speak as much as he wanted. "Alex…" he said quietly.

Athrun looked away. "I'm…I'm Athrun Zala!" Gilbert's eyes widened slightly. This was unexpected. "I am the son of Patrick Zala…the man who added fuel to a war that got out of control…and in a pathetic move, fed hatred into the minds of people worldwide." Athrun was shaking. "I…believed my father's words to be true. I boldly fought in the war, killed enemies, and battled against a close friend. And…even after I realized that I was wrong…I could do nothing to stop him. Because of that…I lost everything. My hopes, my dreams…even my identity. Yet…my father's words still linger…"

"Athrun."

"We…we must never repeat that tragedy again! I can't let what happened to me happen to anyone else! Never!"

"Athrun!" Gilbert said loudly. Athrun stopped his vocal tirade, but he was still shaking, even as Gilbert gingerly stood up and began to walk towards his desk. "I heard about the criminals at Junius Seven. Rey told me. I understand that you went through yet another difficult experience."

"No. I wouldn't go as far as to say that. It was good that I found that out. Otherwise…once again I would go on without knowing anything."

Gilbert sighed and shook his head. "No, you're mistaken, Athrun." Athrun stared at him quizzically. "You have no reason to feel responsible for their actions. It probably cannot be helped, that you're only able to think negatively about your father, Chairman Zala. But…Chairman Zala was not that kind of person in the beginning was he?"

Athrun bit his lip. "No…he wasn't. It wasn't until after the Bloody Valentine…when my mother died…that he changed."

Gilbert nodded. "He ended up making some bad decisions along the way. However, it was all in an effort to protect the PLANTs, protect us, and make a better world for us." Athrun had to admit that what Gilbert was saying was at least partly true. Patrick had intended for the PLANTs to survive the entire time, even as his mind became clouded with hatred and anger over his wife's death. "Many people have good intentions, but end up making great mistakes. And statements they make can easily be taken out of context by the listener. Because the listener will often interpret what is said however he or she wants to."

"Mr. Chairman."

"The criminals at Junius Seven had no way to express their feelings of anger, so they took advantage of Chairman Zala's words to justify their actions. They said, 'We're not wrong. Why? Because Chairman Zala said so himself.'" Athrun's expression had turned into one of surprise instead of sadness. "So you see, you mustn't let something like that take control of your emotions. The criminals are the criminals. Chairman Zala is Chairman Zala. And you are you. Regardless of whose son you are. You mustn't allow something like this to drag you down. It has nothing to do with you as an individual."

_He sounds as if he's speaking directly from his heart._ Athrun stood up. "Those words…you were originally intending to speak them to someone else besides me."

Gilbert closed his eyes. "Yes."

"Your son." Gilbert nodded. Athrun's situation was indeed almost exactly like the one Gilbert's own son Ian was currently in. He had taken the altercation they had had eight years before on in his own way and had refused to see it from any other viewpoint except the one he had chosen. As a result, Gilbert was now vilified by his son, completely shut out from his mind and heart. He longed to explain things to him, but Ian would have no part of it. They only thing he could believe was what he himself thought was correct. That was how he was. That was how many people were.

"You are an individual who has come here to try and stop a battle that's on the verge of breaking out. That's all you need to think about right now. Stop trying to take all the responsibility yourself. But…I must say that I'm delighted that you're here, Athrun."

"Me…Mr. Chairman?"

"Yes. All the people who feel like you will be the ones to save this world. People may think of me as a dreamer…you may as well…but because of what I've seen and heard in all my years, I believe it to be true."

Athrun paused. "Yes."

"I've heard and read the reports of people calling for me to do more…to strike back against the Earth Forces for their attack. But that's not how I want to do things…that's not how I believe they should be done. That is all the more reason why we must stand firm right now."

"However…" Athrun said, "The people in the PLANTs are already feeling vulnerable. You said so yourself. They're already calling out for vengeance. What are you going to do about them?"

Gilbert nodded. "Look over at that screen. I'll show you." Athrun did so.

All around the PLANTs, on televisions, radios, and the large public viewing screens in many of the business districts, one image suddenly was displayed on all of them. It was of a red HARO bouncing across a three-dimensional plane and shouting gibberish that no one could understand. Many PLANT citizens were confused by this initial image, but when the girl with long-pink hair and a pleasant smile appeared on screen, all confusion evaporated. "Everyone, please," the girl said. "I am Lacus Clyne." Athrun's eyes widened and he immediately glanced at Gilbert. The Chairman was smiling at he watched.

"Everyone, please calm down and listen to what I have to say. The latest incident involving Junius Seven, and the subsequent war declaration, and attack by the Earth Alliance, are very sad, tragic events." Every citizen that had been locked in the heated discussions of vengeance now was silent as Lacus pleaded with them. "I feel the same shock and resentment against them that you do, for their sudden attempt at a nuclear attack. However, I ask that you all calm down and think this through. Being driven by anger and crying out thoughts of rage, will only lead to more battles. As we speak, the Supreme Council is making every effort to avoid the worst case scenario. So I call upon you all to express your love for peace and believe in the Supreme Council and Chairman Dullindal as they once again work on your behalf to find the best path for us. So at this time, please remain calm."

"Go ahead and laugh if you wish." Athrun had been so caught up in Lacus' speech that he had forgotten that Gilbert was standing right beside him. "I'm sure you can tell."

At the same time, Lacus' voice began to ring out across the PLANTs in a song.

_In the water,_

_The night sways,_

_It is so silent,_

_It makes me sad._

_On the green riverbank,_

_I can only wait,_

_With a pure heart,_

_For the beautiful dawn._

The citizens heard her pleasant, beautiful voice and it was as if all the anger and hatred were evaporating. Kinder words of peace and harmony began to take up a voice and soon almost all cries for vengeance were naught.

"I think it's a shrewd thing to do, but considering the circumstances, I really have no choice. Her power to influence is tremendous. It is far greater than mine or anyone else in the PLANTs for that matter. I do think of this as a foolish act, but right now I have need of her strengths."

"Mr. Chairman…" _He's using her with the full knowledge that she's a fake. Does that mean…?_

"Is something wrong, Athrun?" The younger man looked visibly shaken by the events playing out before him.

Athrun's insides tightened. "About her…Lacus, I mean. I understand that you need her influence in order to keep the people calm…but couldn't you have just…asked the real Lacus to do this?"

Gilbert smiled. "I did."

"What?"

"However, I was forced to assume that it would take some time for her to respond to my message, so what you see is my temporary solution."

"But…that doesn't mean that Lacus has to die…" Gilbert frowned. Almost at the same moment the last of Athrun's words left his mouth, his head snapped in Athrun's direction.

"What are you talking about?"

"Someone sent a commando squad to assassinate the _real_ Lacus Clyne. It was only because of the actions of her friends that she's still alive." Athrun clenched his hand into a fist. "The commandoes were Coordinators and they were armed with state of the art weapons and mobile suits. ZAFT is the only place where they could have gotten that equipment. If you're using Lacus' influence by using a fake…then it would make perfect sense for you to dispose of the real Lacus in fear that she would blow the entire thing."

Gilbert narrowed his eyes. "I don't know anything about what you're talking about."

"Are you sure? It fits in with everything you've told me."

"What I wanted out of Lacus Clyne was the chance to speak with her about this very issue. I was hoping to convince her _herself _to come to the PLANTs and take the duplicate's place. So I will give you this answer: I swear on my mind and soul…_I did not try to kill Lacus Clyne_."

There was an awkward silence that followed. "Okay…let's say that I believe you," Athrun said. "If you didn't send those commandoes…then who did?"

"I don't know," Gilbert said honestly. "There are very few people under my command with that amount of power. However, I doubt that any of them would want to assassinate Lacus Clyne. None of them have personalities like that, nor would they ever think of doing that."

_He sounds as if he really didn't know_. _But it fits so well with what he's doing. I could already tell when I spoke with Kira that he didn't trust Dullindal. But…the way he's been doing things, the way he's been saying things…would he _really_ do something like that to Lacus?_ "Alright. I'll take your word for it. From what you've told and shown me…I don't think you sent those commandoes to assassinate Lacus." _If I get the chance, I'll look into this further. But right now's not the time._

"Thank you."

"But…could you do me one favor?"

"You want me to find out who _did_ send them," Gilbert finished for him. "I'd be more than happy to. I'll put my best men on the case."

"Thank you, Mr. Chairman." Athrun glanced back up at the view screen and saw that reports were now coming in from all over the PLANTs about the message that Lacus' duplicate had proclaimed. People were no longer crying out for revenge, but for peace. "It worked very well, it appears."

"Yes. Her strengths will indeed greatly assist us during these times. But, I also would like to put your strengths to work."

"What? My strengths…?"

Gilbert nodded. "Would you mind coming with me, Athrun…? I have something to show you."

_**-ZAFT Mobile Suit Factory, 1200.**_

Gilbert had taken Athrun from the government offices and boarded one of the main lifts running through Aprilius One's central axis. They had then gotten on board a shuttle craft and proceeded to a separate facility apart from the PLANTs. Athrun knew this new place was one of ZAFT's military factories where they developed new technologies, but what Gilbert had brought him here for he couldn't put his eye on. He followed the Chairman down a series of corridors before reaching a doorway marked with RESTRICTED AREA. There were a group of soldiers guarding the doorway whom Gilbert spoke to briefly. As one of the soldiers opened the door, the rest saluted the Chairman who gave them a partial wave in return. Athrun followed Gilbert through the open doorway.

The next room was so dark that Athrun had to stick very close to Gilbert in order to make sure he didn't get lost. However, that didn't mean Athrun hadn't realized what this place was. He had been here before; this was where he'd picked up the ZGMF-X09A Justice during the last war. This was a top secret mobile suit hangar. If Gilbert was bringing him here…?

"Athrun." Gilbert had made his way onto a small steel gangway overlooking much of the hangar and was inclining Athrun to step beside him. Athrun gained his footing and glanced at Gilbert who then snapped his fingers. At once, the hangar's numerous lighting systems blinked on, casting a bright glow onto both men and more importantly, the object they stood before. Athrun's eyes widened as he took in the sight of the humanoid mobile suit staring back at him. This machine appeared to be brand new, with hardly a dent or scratch on its outsides. Its head was similar to the other X-numbers he'd seen and fought against and it clutched a beam rifle in its right hand. It also sported a very large backpack that extended well past its hips, while countless sets of wires were connected to the rest of its body.

"Why, this is…" Athrun said, stumbling over his words.

He could see Gilbert nod out of the corner of his eye. "ZGMF-X23S, Savior. The general functions may differ somewhat, but this machine was developed at about the same time as Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss. In other words, this is one of our newest developed models."

Athrun sighed quietly at the back of his throat. "Impressive. But…why are you showing me this…?"

Gilbert smiled and folded his arms. "If I told you that I wish to entrust this machine to you, what would you do?"

Athrun frowned. _I had a feeling this was coming. _"What are you implying? Are you asking me to return to ZAFT and fight against the Earth Forces?"

"Not really." Gilbert sounded as-a-matter-of-fact. "It's exactly as I just said. I wish to entrust this machine to you." Athrun still looked as if he was suspicious. Gilbert blinked his eyes slowly and turned his body so he was facing him directly. "Well, on paper it would be more or less as you say."

"I'm…not sure that I can do that just yet. I'm still…unsure about some things." _Like whether or not he actually _did_ try to kill the real Lacus._ "But…why are you willing to entrust this new machine to someone like me?"

"I can understand how you feel, Athrun." Gilbert turned once again to face the Savior. "My personal feelings about this latest incident are what you heard my 'Lacus Clyne' say. However, in a society where the thoughts of opponents, various people, and organizations get tangled up, it isn't easy to move things along as one wishes. That's why I want those who believe in what I believe to stand strong with me. People such as your old friends, Yzak and Dearka. They believe as I believe, and I have the utmost confidence in their abilities and mind-set. But, there are precious few people like that out there. You are one of those people, Athrun."

_Yzak? Dearka?_ Athrun thought about his old friends and co-pilots for the first time in quite a while. He hadn't seen or heard from them in months. The last he'd heard, they had both rejoined the ZAFT military, but he hadn't been informed of much else. If they were on the same side as Gilbert was, then what did that mean?

"If at all possible, I'd like to avoid a war," Gilbert continued. "But at the same time, I cannot just sit back unarmed and wait to be destroyed. I have far too many people depending on me to do that." Athrun nodded. "Should we end up in that situation, I want you to be someone with power."

"Mr. Chairman."

"Having experienced the previous war, and agonized over your father's actions, I'm confident that you and your friends will never choose the wrong path under any circumstances. Should we end up making a wrong turn, I'm going to be counting on you to guide us back onto the right path. However, for you to be able to do that, you'll need power. That's rather unfortunate."

Athrun took another long look at the mobile suit before him and said nothing. _I want to help…but I'm reluctant to take up arms again because I don't know who I'm supposed to be fighting against. I think I know…but I'm still not positive. Yet the Chairman is showing a lot of confidence in me…even if I haven't been a part of anything like this in two years. Is he really that dependent upon me? And what about Lacus? Can I really trust him even though by all accounts he's still the one who tried to kill her?_ _What about Yzak and Dearka? Can I really turn my back on them?_

Gilbert's jacket pocket began ringing and he withdrew the communicator he had stored there. "Yes?"

"Gilbert, it's Eileen. Something urgent has come up. The Council needs to meet again as soon as possible."

Gilbert frowned. "What's happened?"

"There are new matters happening as a result of the attack last night. I'll fill you in when you get back."

"Okay. We'll convene the Council again in four hours. Tell everyone else to get back here, including Yuri and Henry and if they can manage it. I'll be there shortly."

"Yes, Chairman."

Gilbert pocketed the device and sighed. "It seems as though our time together is going to be cut short, Athrun. I have other matters to attend to right now. You know how it is for the Chairman of the PLANTs."

"Yes."

Athrun still appeared slightly taken aback by the entire situation. Gilbert tried to make his decision slightly easier. "I realize this is all very sudden. I don't expect you to make a decision right away. But what you can do, and what you wish to do, these are things that nobody knows better than you. I'm confident that you'll make the decision that's best for you and the world, Athrun."

Athrun averted his eyes. "Thank you very much."

Gilbert nodded. "The guards will escort you out when you're ready to leave." Gilbert then jumped off of the gangway and floated down towards the doorway. When he was at a safe distance from Athrun, he frowned. _The real Lacus was almost killed. Ken…did you follow my orders, or not?_

Athrun watched the mysterious man who was now the Chairman of the PLANTs leave. He then stood on the gangway staring into the eyes of the Savior for a long time. He weighed his decision over and over again in his mind. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he decided that he needed to rest. The soldiers led him out of the facility and Athrun watched from the corridor as the hangar's lights were slowly turned off one by one and the heavy doors closed behind him.

_**-Aprilius One, 1700.**_

The hotel was bathed in yellow light from the late afternoon sun when Athrun returned from the factory. Throughout his trip he'd gone over Gilbert's proposal in his mind again and again. He tried to weigh every action and reaction that would result from his choice, but that only made his mind spin and ache. He had decided that he would think about it again after getting a good night's sleep. Unfortunately, when he stepped through the automatic doors into the lobby of the hotel, those plans went out the window.

"Athrun!"

"Hey, hey, hey!"

Athrun barely had time to react before the Lacus look-alike threw her arms around him and hugged him fiercely. "Welcome back! I've been waiting for you!"

Athrun's eyes darted to the left and to the right. "Huh? Ah…you? You're…who are you?" he whispered in her ear.

The girl's blue eyes seemed to light up. "Oh! I'm Meer. Meer Campbell. But call me Lacus when there are others around, okay?" She winked at him and Athrun sighed in despair. _I can already tell that this isn't going to end well._ He tried to walk past her so he could reach his room, but she forcefully hooked her arm around his and pulled him aside. "Hey. You haven't eaten yet, have you? Didn't think so. Let's go for dinner!"

She pulled him through the lobby while he had an exasperated look on his face. "Wait…I, uh…I'm not that hungry…"

"You're Lacus' fiancé, right?" She wasn't listening.

"Um, I'm no longer…" Athrun tried to get the words out of his mouth that he and Lacus were no longer engaged, his father had broken off the engagement himself two years before, but once again, Meer didn't appear to be listening.

With her red HARO calling out behind them, Meer guided Athrun up to her suite where a table had already been set up for two next to a window overlooking the central metropolitan area of Aprilius, including the government offices. Meer constantly spouted that Athrun was Lacus' fiancé, and Athrun realized that the news that they were not engaged any longer may not have been broken to the public, even after two years had gone by.

Athrun sat down across from Meer and said nothing as she spilled over the menu that the waiter had laid before the two of them. "Let's see. Athrun, do you prefer meat or fish?" He wasn't listening. He was too encompassed in what Gilbert had told him earlier. Plus there was the fact that this girl sitting across from him was impersonating one of his oldest friends without Lacus' knowledge. If Kira found out about this… "Oh, by the way! Did you see my performance today?"

"Huh?"

"How was it? Was I like her?" Meer's eyes seemed to light up as she waited for an answer. Just as quickly however, she sank back into her chair. "Or was I not even close?"

"HARO?" the little toy murmured sadly.

"Uh…no. You were pretty good," Athrun stammered. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Meer's feelings, even if she was doing something rather devious.

"Really?" Meer cried.

"Yeah. You looked just like her. You were almost identical," Athrun acknowledged quietly.

He cringed when Meer shouted in ecstasy across from him. "You just made my day! I'm so glad! Coming from you, I couldn't be happier!"

"I understand! Thank you very much!" HARO shouted.

They both ordered and Athrun sat mulling over his food, mostly spreading it around his plate while he thought. This girl Meer seemed to be enjoying impersonating Lacus even more than Athrun could have imagined. And he had to admit, that she was pretty good at what she did. _Maybe it isn't such a bad decision to have her do this. She is a calming force in the PLANTs. Until the real Lacus finds out that is…_

"The truth is, I've always been a great fan of Lacus," Meer said. "I love her songs, and always used to sing them. People told me that my voice sounded like hers, even back then. I won a lot of talent shows singing her songs. Then one day, I got a call from the Chairman."

"And that's how you started doing this?" Athrun asked.

"Yes. He told me that he needed my strengths. For that PLANTs' sake. That's why I started doing this!"

Athrun frowned. Gilbert's own words came back to him. _I was hoping to convince her herself to come to the PLANTs and take the duplicate's place…_ "Not your strengths. It's Lacus' strengths he needs."

Meer looked hurt. Suddenly the happiness seemed to drain from her. "I know that. But for now…"

"I'm sorry-!" Athrun started to say.

"No, I know it's not just for now. Lacus' strengths are needed at all times. By everyone. Whether they be on Earth or the PLANTs. She's strong, beautiful, and kind. No one really needs me personally." She piped up once again. "So I don't mind if it's only for the time being. Once the real Lacus arrives to take my place, I'll be glad! If I can be of help to the Chairman and everyone on behalf of Miss Lacus, who isn't here right now, that would make me happy! I'm also happy to have the opportunity to meet you, Athrun Zala! Athrun, I imagine you know a lot about Miss Lacus. Would you mind telling me what she's like? What sort of things does she like? And what doesn't she like? What is she good at…?"

_What am I going to do? I think I could help protect the PLANTs by rejoining ZAFT…but that would mean that I would have to fight against someone who may not really deserve it. Then there's the fact that if I allow this Meer to keep impersonating Lacus, that would mean that the person who tried to kill her would attempt it again. Damn it! Everything's happening so fast! What am I going to do?_ Athrun sat contemplating that very same thing all throughout the rest of the meal.

_**-ZAFT Supreme Council Chamber, 1700.**_

When Yuri and Henry, both physically and emotional exhausted after more than two days of non-stop work, strolled into the Supreme Council Chamber that was already housing the other ten members of the Council, the entire room stood and applauded. The applause was genuine, as it had been thanks to those two men and every soldier under their command that the PLANTs had been spared from another nuclear holocaust. Both Generals took their respective seats at the table and so did the rest of the Council.

"Before we begin, I wish to extend my gratitude to everyone here for their work during the past few days," Gilbert began. "These events have been very strenuous on all of us, but it is a token to each and every one of you that we all meeting here again today." A small murmur sprang up from the Council and Gilbert waited patiently for it to die down, which took about a minute. "Now then, on to business. General Amalfi? Do you have your report ready?"

Yuri nodded. He stood up from his seat as the lights in the chamber dimmed. Yuri activated a holoprojector located in the center of the table and a three-dimensional image of the PLANTs came up. Yuri cleared his throat. "Beginning at approximately midnight last night, the Earth  
Alliance officially declared war on the PLANTs and launched a massive attack on the homelands almost immediately thereafter. Based on the location of the majority of the Earth Forces' attack fleet, our defense was situated within Areas 9 and 8 in a two column formation. Once the first waves of Earth Forces' mobile suits reached our lines, a gigantic battle ensued that ended up spilling into Area 8, located directly behind Area 9." Red and blue dots, representing enemy and friendly forces, appeared in the areas approaching the PLANTs. This was an exact replica of how the battle had taken place. "Our forces were able to hold their own in these areas, but a separate force of Earth Forces' vessels was detected by one of our advance scouts and was approaching from Area 3, armed with Mark-5 nuclear missiles. Unfortunately, our main defense forces, which were engaging the first group of enemies in Area 9, were unable to reach the new forces in time to stop them from firing their missiles. Luckily, we were able to launch the new _Nazca_-class warship, the _George Glenn_, and its new Neutron Stampeder equipment, developed through cooperation with the MMI Corporation. Using this new device, we were able to irradiate the entire area in between the PLANTs and the nuclear force, which then caused a chain reaction within the nuclear missiles and caused them to detonate prematurely. The entire nuclear assault fleet was then subsequently destroyed by the explosions of nuclear missiles remaining in their holds. As a result of the destruction of the nuclear attack force, the rest of the Earth Forces' assault fleet retreated almost immediately."

As the holoprojection disappeared and the lights slowly started to come back on, Gilbert glanced around the table at his fellow Council members. There was a range of emotions he could see in their faces: anger, sadness, uncertainty, and utter exhaustion. "Reports from our scout units indicate that the Earth Forces have retreated to the Lunar Base for the time being," Henry said.

Yuri took his seat once again and added, "However, based on information we received from Representative Roske's Intelligence staff," he nodded his head in Roske's direction, "this won't be the last time the Earth Forces attack us, _somewhere_."

"That attack proves that nothing we could have done would have stopped the Earth Forces from trying to destroy us," Ricardo Orff said.

"They didn't even respond to any of our attempts to negotiate," Louise Leitner added. "If they would attack us in this way, then there's no question that they would try it again."

"But with the Earth Forces being forced back to their Lunar Base, that also gives _us_ more time to prepare as well," Tad Elsman pointed out.

"Losses to our forces were minimal, so we still have the bulk of our strength intact," Yuri said.

"Which is all the more reason why we should begin planning our next move _now_," Henry responded. "The more we wait, the more we risk leaving ourselves open to another attack."

Gilbert decided this was him time to speak. "However, General, we must not let our feelings regarding the attack influence our decisions in the future. If we do that, we will only be repeating the mistakes of the last war. We must be very careful."

Henry nodded. "I understand your sentiment, sir. I was merely implying that we would have more time to plan our next _maneuver_, whether it me militaristic or diplomatic."

"Every one of our attempts to open diplomatic relations with the Atlantic Federation was rejected," Eileen said, throwing herself into the conversation. "However, when we sent requests to other nations within the alliance, we sensed that there was some inclination to at least try to negotiate a settlement."

"That indicates that not every nation within the Alliance was completely one hundred percent in favor of the attack," Tad concurred.

"But in the end, they could nothing to stop the Atlantic Federation from imposing its will upon them," Leitner put in. "Both Australia and the Far East were both on the same page with the Atlantic Federation, and with Eurasia throwing their lot in at the last minute, none of the other nations could hope to oppose the Atlantic Federation."

"In other words, they're being forced into the Alliance in fear of having themselves attacked," Orson White said. "It's the same tactic the Atlantic Federation used near the end of the last war."

"Yes."

"With a united Earth against us, we have to prepare for anything," Leitner said.

"The PLANTs have the capabilities to defend themselves from an attack at this moment," Yuri mentioned. "But with the bulk of our forces in space, that puts at a disadvantage elsewhere."

"Yes. Our strongholds on Earth will be in great jeopardy unless we do something quickly," Tad agreed.

"Carpentaria will be in a particularly dangerous position as well, very soon." Yuri's voice was grave as he spoke of ZAFT's central Earth base. "Alliance nations now surround Carpentaria from the north, south, and west. Only the east remains open and if the Orb Union chooses to join the Alliance, Carpentaria will be effectively surrounded with the exception of the Oceanic Union directly to the east."

"We'll have to reinforce Carpentaria very quickly if we want to keep it," Henry added.

Gilbert nodded. "We cannot afford to lose our bases on Earth. They are the only things preventing the Alliance from launching attack after attack upon the PLANTs."

"We'll set about getting reinforcements there immediately, Chairman," Yuri said.

"Thank you. However, I'm afraid that the citizens will not allow us to debate here forever. Unless we do something in response fairly soon, I'm afraid that their patience in us will wear thin." He received nods from everyone around the table. This was the kind of meeting Gilbert enjoyed most; one where everyone's minds were on the same page. "I want each of you to offer your own suggestion as to what we should do. Once I've heard everyone, I'll make the ultimate decision."

"It sounds all too easy," Tad murmured mostly to himself.

"It would've been a lot easier for us if Eurasia hadn't joined the Alliance at the last minute," Henry acknowledged.

"I couldn't believe that when I heard it!" Leitner exclaimed. "Bradford signs the Junius Treaty with us and pledges that he and his nation won't open hostilities without a fair and just reason. Now he goes and joins the Alliance force without even a fight."

"In other words, he stabbed us in the back," George Adaman said.

"Why would he do this in the first place?" Orff wondered out loud.

"I've been wondering the exact same thing," Gilbert admitted. "Why would a man who pledged to dedicate his remaining years to the preservation of peace suddenly side with an alliance hawking for war? It baffles me."

Eileen concurred. "I spoke with him for many days when we were negotiating the Junius Treaty last year," she said. "Every time we talked of peace, he would say that that was what he wanted more than anything else. He wanted to see an end to these conflicts and live in a world where we didn't have to fight. Peace was his ideal goal. I can't imagine that this is the same man who would instantly side with the Earth Alliance and use his own forces to attack us. It makes absolutely no sense to me!"

For the first time during the meeting, it was Roske who spoke. "Perhaps it wasn't Bradford who agreed to bring Eurasia into the Alliance." Almost immediately, every eye was trained on him. Roske visibly squirmed in his seat and said, "Oh, I'm terribly sorry! I interrupted, you Representative Canaver. I apologize!"

"No, that's alright. What were you saying?"

"Something about Bradford not bringing Eurasia into the Alliance?" Gilbert asked. "What do you mean, Ken?"

Roske glanced around the table and asked if he could use the holoprojector. Gilbert agreed and Roske brought up the image of a simple, white piece of paper with many words on it. "This is the treaty of alliance signed by the Atlantic Federation, Republic of the Far East, Australian Republic, and the Eurasian Federation. One of my operatives picked up a copy in Dublin, Ireland yesterday. Something about this document has puzzled me for the last day. Notice the signatures at the bottom of the page. There are four signatures there. Among them are the President of the Atlantic Federation Anthony Copeland's signature, and the signatures of the Prime Minister's of the Republic of the Far East and the Australian Republic. But notice the signature in Eurasia' place. It is that of Prime Minister Patrick Gupta. Not Bradford's!"

"What does that mean?" Leitner wondered.

"It means that Eurasia signed the treaty without Bradford's approval," Eileen answered for Roske. Her voice sounded almost relieved. "Every treaty, every law, every monetary policy that becomes policy in Eurasia has to be signed by the nation's leader, in this case, Premier Woodrow Bradford. Without his signature, the document is not taken as an official national policy."

"But why would Gupta sign it instead of Bradford?" Henry asked.

"It could be that Bradford didn't want to have his own name on the document which would make it clear that he was betraying the treaty," Roske suggested. His voice darkened. "But I believe it may stand for something else…"

Gilbert's eyes narrowed. "You believe there's been a coup in Eurasia. Don't you?"

Roske slowly nodded. "Yes." Once again a murmur, this one more shocked and accentuated, swept over the Council. "I haven't confirmed it, but it is a definite possibility."

"That would explain why Eurasia would suddenly join the Alliance!" Adaman said.

"Bradford was the main petitioner for a lasting peace in Eurasia," Eileen put in. "There were some in Eurasia who wanted to continue the fight as the Atlantic Federation did. Among those was the future Prime Minister, Patrick Gupta. From what I heard from the Premier himself, Gupta was against the treaty's official language and was one of the most vocal opponents of the Enactment which created the Red Men."

"It makes perfect sense that there's been a coup then!" Tad said. "Gupta gets rid of Bradford and suddenly he's the top man in Eurasia."

"Is there any way we can confirm it, though?" Gilbert asked.

"Maybe. Another of my sources informed me just before we convened that Gupta had scheduled a press conference later tonight. It's believed that he's going to explain to the Eurasian people why they joined the Alliance."

"We should probably watch too, then," Yuri told Gilbert.

"Yes. Is there any way we can get the conference in here?"

"It'll take a few moments, but we should be able to," Yuri answered.

"How long until it starts, Ken?" Gilbert asked.

Roske glanced at his wristwatch. "Thirty minutes."

_**-Barkhesh Residence, Orb Union, 1720.**_

Mwu returned to his brother-in-law's house drenched in sweat and rain. These mid-afternoon thunderstorms that hit Orb in the fall were a nuisance, but Mwu had to admit that it was kind of refreshing; when it wasn't happening on a daily basis. He tore his jacket off, the fabric sticking to his skin, and hung it up in a hallway closet. "Is that you, Mwu?" he heard Murrue's voice call out.

"Yeah, I'm back." He found her sitting comfortably on the sofa in the living room; Desmond nestled securely in her arms. _Little guy must've been hungry_. Mwu plopped down beside his wife who was in the process of feeding their little boy, his expression almost completely carefree as he drank up the formula that Murrue had prepared for him.

"Kira and Lacus took the kids into town. Judging by the weather, they should be back any moment."

"Great. Remind me to tell Natarle that Frank's going to be late. He's got a lot of stuff at Fighter Command that they _insist_ he has to take care of."

"Oh, Natarle's going to love that. He's been gone for almost two days straight."

"She been rough on you?" He shrugged. "I guess that's what happens to women when they get big like that."

"_Mwu!_ She's _pregnant_!"

"_I know that_! All I'm saying is that women get a little emotional when they're pregnant, that's all!"

"You would two if you found yourself gaining a pound a week during the last month," Murrue shot back.

Mwu snorted. "I guess I should consider myself lucky then."

"Why?"

"A, because if I ever get fat it'll be on my own terms, and B because you weren't _that_ bad when you were pregnant with Desmond."

"Mwu!"

"Okay! I'm sorry! I'm a little tired and stressed out right now!" Mwu sighed and sank back into the confines of the sofa. "You heard about the path that Seiran and the others want Orb to take in this conflict, right?"

Murrue narrowed her eyes. "Yes."

Mwu could tell by her voice that she wasn't happy about it. She would be even less happy when she heard what he said next. "I'm going to support to their decision to join the Alliance," he mumbled quietly.

He saw Murrue stiffen out of the corner of his eye. "What?"

"I know…I'm not happy about it either."

Murrue turned to him, Desmond still in her arms. "_Mwu_! After everything that happened…?"

"I didn't have a choice. It was either that…or I risk putting you and Desmond at risk. And knowing Seiran…that wasn't something I was prepared to do." He leaned close to her and touched his son's tiny fingers. Desmond's blue eyes, passed down through his father, glanced up at Mwu and widened cheerfully. "I want Desmond to grow up in a place that isn't consumed by war. I want our family to be safe. That's why I decided to do it." Murrue still looked saddened. "I know that's not-."

"No! It's okay." Murrue gulped. "I know you made a hard decision…and as I much as I may personally object…I know you thought of your family first. As long as you keep that in mind, I'll support you in anything you do."

Mwu smiled. "Thank you. And I promise…I will _never_ do anything to put you and our son in danger." Deep inside, Mwu was beginning to realize how difficult that statement would be to keep.

_**-Moscow, Russia, Eurasian Federation, 0830 (1730 Orb and PLANT local time).**_

As Prime Minister Patrick Gupta stepped towards the podium, camera flashbulbs lit up the room being seen by millions across the Eurasian continent and around the world. Gupta was a relatively tall man, with shiny, short brown hair and mustache, spectacles, clothed in a freshly pressed double breasted navy blue suit and tie. The conference room was filled with reporters and cameramen from all across Eurasia and the world, each one of them eager to hear the Prime Minister's words as he spoke to the Eurasian people. For the past two days Eurasia had been in a state of confusion after the apparent disappearance of the country's leader, Premier Woodrow Bradford, and the nation's sudden entry into the Earth Alliance. For his part, Gupta had remained in the open, leaving himself accessible to the people of the nation, but this was the first time he would actually be addressing the issues at hand.

Cagalli viewed Gupta as a typical politician, someone who desired to be a leader and capable of devious actions in order to get that power. He certainly looked the part, clean and well-dressed, of a person who was used to living in high society. She was watching the conference from the darkened meeting room of the Ruling Council, which was situated around their usual meeting table. She sat at the farthest end while Unato, who sat with his arms folded, occupied the other and the remaining members, including Yuna, with his legs crossed and arms in front of him, sat off to the sides. With raindrops tapping on the window behind her, Cagalli watched intently, knowing that a nation that had been in very much the same position as Orb had been merely two days ago, had suddenly jumped ship and joined the Alliance. Eurasia's decision could be foreshadowing events to come.

At the same time, half-way around the world, Djibril had fixed himself a fresh glass of rum and now sat relaxed in the confines of his command center beneath his mansion. Based on what he saw, everything on Earth had gone according to plan. Regardless of whether or not their mission against the PLANTs had failed, he viewed these last few weeks as a victory for him and what he strove for. All that was left was for Djibril to toast himself and his companions to a job well done, and a future without those damn Coordinators.

With a Eurasian flag draped over the wall behind him, Gupta stepped up to the podium. He blinked his eyes occasionally when the sea of flashbulbs began to much and waited patiently. He checked to his right and left, making sure that his guards were in place. There were two on either side of him, far enough off to the side not to be noticed and two more guarding the door at the rear of the conference room. Once his vision was clear, Gupta began to speak to the approximately thirty to forty reporters and cameramen crammed into the room, and the millions of soldiers, sailors, workers, and civilians, watching and listening all over the world.

His voice was powerful and well-kept as he began. "_My fellow countrymen. As your elected Prime Minister, and servant of the Eurasian people, I speak to you from the Eurasian capital city of Moscow, regarding a terrible series of events that have shaken our beloved homeland. There have been many rumors…and many reports…I have heard them as well. Over the past two days, I and the representatives of the Federal Council have been extremely immersed in the gathering of information and the process of decision making. During those hours, we have discovered that the unthinkable is indeed true. Because of that, this is now one of the most difficult announcements that I have ever had to make as your Prime Minister. Despite numerous attempts to prove otherwise…we have confirmed that our esteemed leader…Premier Bradford, has been assassinated._"

Djibril smiled as he heard the shocked and unbelieving reactions of the few reporters inside the conference room. All across the world, it was almost as if he could hear the reactions of the people from every nation; sadness, anger, joy, disbelief. He took a sip from his drink as Gupta finally continued. "_The Premier was found dead in his mansion…along with his guards…the victims of gunshot and stab wounds._"

Several reporters began barking out questions to the Prime Minister, but Gupta merely held up his hand to attempt to maintain order. He wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible. "_I realize that this announcement comes as a shock. I too, am still greatly dismayed by this news. The subsequent investigation has uncovered evidence…that the perpetrators of this cowardly assault on a man who believed in and fought for peace…was none other than the same group of demons who dropped Junius Seven onto our beloved planet Earth._"

Now people were enveloped by even more disbelief. Those watching inside the PLANT Supreme Council chamber felt their hearts sink. They glanced at each other in silence, but each expression seemed to reflect the exact same message; we've been set-up.

"_It was because of this cowardly, dastardly attack on a peace-loving individual…along with the news that much of our beloved homeland has been greatly affected by the drop of Junius Seven…the Federal Council asked me to sign the treaty of Alliance with the Atlantic Federation on their behalf. We have mutually agreed that Eurasia cannot co-exist with the government of the PLANTs after their refusal to concede the culprits of these attacks._"

"_What about the public opinions that suggest that they don't want to go to war?_" one of the reporters inquired.

Gupta frowned. "_Those opinion polls were conducted before the assassination. I'm certain that public opinion will be swayed by these events. The people will not tolerate those who dared to harm their beloved leader._" Gupta thought he heard someone shout behind the closed doors at the rear of the conference room, but he paused only momentarily. His nerves were getting the better of him. "_The Eurasian people are strong, both physically and mentally. They will not allow themselves to be intimidated by forces of outlaw states._"

"Now we suddenly become outlaws," Henry mumbled sarcastically.

"Isn't that what we've always been in their eyes?" Roske asked. A consensus seemed to echo around the table.

Gupta raised his hand to add emphasis to his speech. "_We will not allow these cowardly attacks to continue. The Eurasian people will rise up…along with our brothers around the world…and we will punish those who dared strike us!_" The doors to the conference room slowly began to open, but Gupta was too entranced to notice. "_The PLANTs will live to see the day that they defied us…we will rise-!_"

The anguished cry of one of the guards standing in front of the doorway stopped Gupta cold. The man dropped to the floor with a hole in the back of his head. The guard next to him was similarly felled by a shot to the back, which penetrated deep inside his chest and pierced his heart, killing him instantly. As they fell, Gupta got his first glimpse of the two well-dressed men in trench coats and fedora hats now standing in the doorway. He felt his blood run cold.

The guard to his immediate right fell gasping with blood spurting from his sliced neck. The man in the hat trench coat behind him then quickly flung his knife in perilously close to Gupta's fearful face and planted it square in the middle of his remaining guard's chest. As his last guard fell, Gupta could hear the commotion in the conference room begin to roar. It only stopped momentarily when the next man appeared in the doorway. His was scarred, walking with a slight limp in his leg, dressed in a double-breasted gray suit and trench coat, spectacled, with a reddish-gold goatee and hair underneath his gray fedora. Gupta knew the man's face all too well…and it made him tremble. The only words he could manage were, "_Wh-what…what are you-?_"

"_Traitor!_" Seymour raised his arm and squeezed the trigger of the sub-machine gun clutched in it. Gupta fell backwards almost immediately as blood seeped from his head, neck, and chest, dead before he hit the ground. The people in the room had ducked almost instinctively when they saw Seymour make his appearance. For good reason. As the head commander of the Red Men, Seymour was considered to be one of the most feared men in all of Eurasia. The saying was, if you saw him unexpectedly, you probably wouldn't live for very long afterward. That was the result of a life torn apart by betrayal and personal tragedy.

Seymour waltzed up towards the podium and looked down upon the dead body of the Prime Minister. He spat on his frozen face. He shouted something to the man now behind him and ordered him to dispose of the bodies. Several other well-dressed men appeared and began to carry away the carcasses, leaving ugly red stains on the floor below the podium. The reporters remained silent as Seymour continued to stand before them, sub-machine gun still clutched in his hand. The same could be said for everyone around the world watching, including the Orb and PLANT Councils, and Lord Djibril, who had suddenly lost his taste for rum. Once the last of the bodies had been removed, Seymour pocketed his gun, snapped to attention and shouted one word. Instantly, the two men at the rear also stood to attention facing each other. In between the two Red Men, gray hair combed partly to the right, freshly pressed brown suit adorning his tall, imposing figure, strode Woodrow Bradford.

The reporters and cameramen were suddenly overcome with a seemingly shocked joy. As the country's leader, who had apparently risen from the dead, made his way slowly towards the front of the conference room, the wave of flashbulbs picked up in intensity and people began calling out to him with questions of how he survived and where he had been. Bradford ignored every single on as he reached the front of the room, appearing on camera to millions for the first time.

In Orb, Cagalli nearly collapsed in her chair and breathed an audible sigh of relief. On the PLANTs, the Council remained silent, but their expressions had decidedly brightened with this latest development. As they watched, those nearest to Eileen could hear her murmur, "My God, he's aged." Inside his home, Djibril set down his half-filled drink beside his chair. His delightful mood had evaporated and had been replaced by disappointment. _So Gupta…you weren't able to complete your end of the bargain. Oh well._ He folded his arms and leaned back in his seat. He wanted to see what this famed war hero had to say.

Bradford stepped gingerly up to the podium and braced himself with both hands on its edge. Many of the reporters were still conversing in awe at the sudden appearance of their leader and it took a raised hand from Bradford himself to calm them down and achieve silence. Bradford made sure to glance directly into each camera that was inside the room, making sure that every person watching would feel as if he were making eye contact directly with them. "_I apologize for my unannounced intrusion. I personally don't believe that traitors should be allowed to talk for more than five minutes._" The subtle attempt at humor warmed many watching to Bradford. This was another good way to endear one's self to an audience. "_I will first address the Eurasian people. My friends…I have seen and heard…the reactions to the rumors of my disappearance or death. I am greatly moved by them. I can think of no other nation in the world…that would pour out such support for one man. I thank you for that. I feel that it is necessary to inform you all that am as you see me now. I am unhurt, undamaged, undeterred. Yes, there was an assassination attempt. But thanks to the efforts of my friends of the Red Men, I am alive and standing before you now. We all owe them a great deal. Not only for this, but everything that they have done for us in the past few years._" That was a strange thing to say regarding a unit that was trained to kill.

Bradford coughed and cleared his throat. "Excuse me!" he said in English. He readjusted his hold on the podium and stood up straight. "Now then. I must address the issue that has plagued the world for the past week. I do not only say these words to my fellow countrymen…but I also address everyone watching around the world and in space. I, as the rest of the world has done, condemn the terrorist attack perpetrated against the Earth by those who dropped Junius Seven. I have seen the destruction first-hand. I feel the same sorrow that you of those devastated areas are feeling now. I too…lost a loved one to violence just as you did." Bradford's wife had been killed in an attack on the Baltic during the first war. "However, what I cannot tolerate…are cowards who would perpetrate the same acts on behalf of revenge their own selfish ideals. Those that tried to kill _me_ were filled with thoughts of vengeance and glory. They sought to take vengeance against me for my actions of the past and push themselves into the limelight as idols of their own cause. This is the mind-set that I hate most."

"As you can probably guess…those who tried to kill me were members of the Blue Cosmos. That organization is infamous for its cowardly assaults and outlandish ideals…they sought to kill me and enact their own will upon the world. However, what I have seen in my absence during the past few days has left me even more stunned and disgusted. The Earth Alliance attack on the PLANTs made my stomach turn. Two years ago we all pledged to bring peace and stability to the world. We pledged to put diplomacy and words ahead of guns and violence. And yet…the events of the past few days have shown me that the nations of the Earth Alliance have no desire to follow any of those pledges we set forth. To choose an attack against a nation that was clearly not being aggressive, and was showing no desire to act as an obstruction to the Earth…and most importantly…was showing a kind hand to the rest of the world when people were calling for their heads…is the most cowardly and despicable act I have ever bore witness to."

"I have spoken with the Federal Council during my absence. The representatives of every nation within Eurasia are in agreement on this matter. Together, we have released a joint statement. We have deemed, that any alliance or treaty that wishes to utilize aggressive and unnecessary military actions against an unworthy state, will not receive the support, both economically and militarily, of the Eurasian Federation."

"_What are you saying, Premier?_" one of the reporters asked.

Bradford visibly sighed. He was about to make an announcement that would turn the world upside down. "It is very simple, my friend. We of the government of Eurasia have decided that we cannot support the treaty pushed forward by the Atlantic Federation. Therefore…using powers granted to me by my government and most importantly, my people…I hereby give these orders to every Eurasian soldiers, sailor, and civilian contractor currently involved in actions beyond the borders of the homeland. You are all ordered to take your equipment, and your bodies, should they be capable of doing so…and return home. The Eurasian Federation…is hereby no longer…a part of the Earth Alliance."

The world indeed was turned upside down. All across the globe, people were stunned by the announcement. Eurasia was one of the most powerful nations on Earth, second only to the Atlantic Federation in terms of economic and military strength. They provided more than one third of the entire Earth Alliance strength. Now it was gone.

"_Are you going to side with the PLANTs against the Earth Alliance?_" a reporter asked.

"_Will Eurasia continue to occupy its territories outside of the homeland?_"

"I must emphasize this fact. We are _not_ declaring war against the PLANTs. We are _not_ declaring war against the Earth Alliance nations. We are simply ordering all of our soldiers to come home. The Eurasian Federation has no desire to partake in another senseless war. We have already lost too much. I would never ask the Eurasian people to sacrifice everything for a cause that they don't believe in." With that said, Bradford stepped away from the podium and, amid a huge cloud of questions and flashbulbs, made his way out of the conference room via a side entrance behind a red curtain, the world forever changed by his unprecedented proclamation.

_**-Minerva, Orb Union, 1800.**_

"So he really decided to pull out?" Talia nodded at Roland from across her desk. She handed him a mug of steaming hot coffee which he took with a thank you.

"He said that Eurasia has no desire to take part in another war," Talia answered. She took a careful sip from her own mug and pursed her lips when it began to scald her tongue. "Sounds to me like he was just tired of it all."

"He's not the only one," Roland said.

Talia held her mug carefully in both of her hands. "You would rather not fight if you had the choice?"

Roland smirked. "I'd rather not fight, _period_. In my opinion, if everyone around the world had that choice, the majority would overwhelmingly agree with Bradford. Myself included."

"That's very true," Talia admitted. She thought of her son and how desperately she wanted to be with him at this time. His little five-year-old mind probably could not comprehend just how close he had come to dying during the nuclear attack. She just wanted to hold him in her arms so badly right now. "But then again, it's not really our decision whether we have to fight or not."

"Yeah, you're right. We signed up for this knowing the risk and look where we find ourselves." Roland sighed. "Kinda makes you wish we hadn't grown up, doesn't it? Then we wouldn't have had to make choices like this."

"Yeah."

News of Eurasia's pullout reached every corner of the ship. "But what good does that do us?" Vino asked aloud. "We still have virtually every other nation on Earth lined up against us."

"Eurasia's military force accounted for almost one third of the total Alliance strength," Rey pointed out. He was engaging Yolant in a heated game of checkers while listening to the conversation at the same time. "Without them, the Earth Forces' military capabilities will be greatly diminished."

"It also means that the Alliance will lose the services of the bases controlled by the Eurasians, right?" Lunamaria asked.

"Yes. The Gibraltar Base is a prime example of that. Eurasia took control of it after the last war and now that it's in their hands, the Alliance can't launch assaults into North Africa, so those parts of the world are safe."

Vino laid himself down onto one of the lounge's sofa and placed his head on top of his hands. "But what happens with the rest of the world now?"

"Who knows?" Rey spoke quietly and carefully. "Eurasia's decision has made things very interesting however. It's possible that other nations around the world will look to Eurasia as a beacon of hope, one that is resistant to the prospect of fighting. Those nations may choose to follow in their wake and declare themselves neutral in the conflict."

"How likely do you think that is, Rey?" Lunamaria wondered.

Rey blinked. "I don't know. The only people that do are the leaders of those nations. They're actions in the coming days could very well determine which direction this war heads."

_**-Orb Minister's Office, 1900.**_

"_The Eurasian Federation has no desire to partake in another senseless war_."

Cagalli replayed the last few moments of Bradford's speech over and over again on the monitor in her office. Every word that the man had spoken had sung volumes to her and what she was hoping to accomplish.

"_We have already lost too much. I would never ask the Eurasian people to sacrifice everything for a cause that they don't believe in_." Those words were exactly what Cagalli had wanted to say, but somehow couldn't. Bradford had done exactly what she wanted to do herself. Stand up to those that said siding with the Alliance was the only way to go. Finally, another nation had taken up the cause of peace and taken a stand against the people crying out for vengeance. It _was_ possible to fight for one's own ideals. There was someone out there who had no desire to fight and was unwilling to let themselves be dictated by others who shared different views.

_If he can do…maybe I can pull it off too._ Cagalli rewound the footage of Bradford's speech and watched it again and again. Every time she heard him speak, her resolution to avoid another war only grew. "_…has no desire to partake in another senseless war…_"

**END PHASE-12.**


	14. Phase 13 The Ticking Clock

**Phase-13 The Ticking Clock**

_**-Lord Djibril's Mansion, Spain, October 15, C.E. 73, 1200.**_

Djibril examined both of the canisters that had been brought to him by his manservant by turning them over in front of his eyes. They both were filled with his lifeline and he had to make sure that they were adequate enough to suit him. "These will do, Samuel. Thank you."

"Yes, sir," his manservant said as he bowed his head.

"That will be all for now. I'll join you for dinner at four o'clock."

"Yes, sir."

Djibril closed the door behind his faithful servant and turned back towards the monitors that currently displayed images of over twenty members of Logos. None of them looked fairly happy at this time. "Sorry, gentlemen. Something urgent came up," Djibril announced to them.

"What could be more urgent than the mess we find ourselves in now, Djibril?"

He placed both of the canisters in the top drawer of his desk and closed it securely. "My very life and sanity," Djibril hissed. He felt his cat rub its back against his leg cheerfully and he smiled down at it. "Don't worry. I know you're hungry, I'll feed in a little bit." He reached down and scratched behind its ear and it purred happily. "What I don't understand is what you people are so angry about?" Djibril waltzed back to his chair and stood behind it with his arms draped over the back. "You _all_ can't be suffering from a bad case of the flu all at the same time."

One of the faces scowled at him. "This is no joke, Djibril. It is neither the time nor place for such trivial matters. How are you going to explain this farce?"

"What do you mean?" Djibril asked innocently.

"Just look at how perfectly they wiped us out. Our spotless strategy to destroy the PLANTs was defeated almost effortlessly."

"What was that weapon ZAFT used?" Hawkins inquired.

Djibril shrugged. "I personally have no clue. They must have developed it rather quickly to be able to escape our intelligence sources." _Or so that man in Washington tells me._

"That seems to be the story for this entire charade, Djibril. You dash out in high spirits as you declare war, and quickly retreat when punched in the face just once? It's humiliating. Is this scenario you wrote some kind of comedy?"

"I'll bet that your friend Copeland from the Atlantic Federation isn't so confident now."

"He'll be fine," Djibril reassured them.

"Not to mention the fact that one third of our entire force is now gone!"

"How could you let Bradford escape like that? You told us you had everything under control and that he wouldn't interfere. Now suddenly he appears and his popularity with the masses is even greater than before. His soldiers followed his words like slaves and left in droves, taking everything they could with them!"

"With Eurasia out of the Alliance, our ability to attack will be greatly diminished; not only in terms of manpower, but also in supplies and bases."

"It's all been nothing but an embarrassment to us. How do you explain yourself and these failures under your watch Djibril?"

For the first time during the conversation, Djibril frowned. "What you are complaining about is absolutely ridiculous!" he said quietly, but forcefully. He moved around and took a seat in his chair. "I never told you once that having Eurasia in the Alliance would determine whether or not we succeeded or failed in our objectives. You're angry over the loss of a nation that clearly had no desire to fight another war and would only have served as a stumbling block for us."

"But before…you said-."

"I _said_ that the late Prime Minister would handle everything. Unfortunately, he underestimated the General's power to influence the people. He failed to grasp the feelings the people of that nation have for the man. Having Eurasia on our side would have been a nice addition…but since they've openly decreed that they will have nothing to do with us and our objectives, we will simply move on without them."

"But the forces that left took whatever supplies they had with them as well. They've greatly depleted our numbers. If they should turn the tables against us-."

"Eurasia will be doing nothing of the sort," Djibril interrupted. _My God, these people worry too much._ "You all heard the General's exact words. 'We are not declaring war against the PLANTs. We are not declaring war against the Alliance.' As long as we don't make a big fuss about things and let him wallow in his own territory, Bradford won't be a problem at all."

"Since he didn't ally with anyone, he won't be giving any aid to the Coordinators either," Hawkins pointed out.

"Exactly! Eurasia won't crawl out of its hiding spot unless it's openly provoked. For the betterment of our great cause, we shall just let them be. They won't start trouble over nothing."

"Hmm. Then that leaves the matter of the Coordinators. What do you propose we do about them, Djibril?"

Djibril smiled. "You questioned me earlier why I didn't object to the withdrawal of the fleets. It should be easy enough for you to figure that out yourselves. Even with our losses, we still outnumber those fools by a wide margin. We have the opportunity to take our time and learn more about what the Coordinators have set-up as a defense. Once we have that information, we will launch another assault. I know it may seem like we're dragging our feet, but good preparation is key to achieving a victory. We'll simply go back to our original plan…or even come up with a better plan." _We also have time to think things over._ "This time…we'll crush them and take away their power completely!"

_Time is our ally right now,_ Djibril told himself. _Well…my ally more importantly. For now…I have the chance to see what my esteemed counterpart will do in response to my opening move._ Djibril closed his eyes and let the comforts of his chair surround him. _Those who win in a war…are those who use their time most efficiently._

_**-Orb Minister's Office, Orb Union, October 18, C.E. 73, 0900.**_

Cagalli felt like an old rag that had just been wrung out over a sink. All the energy seemed to have been zapped from her body and it felt like she was just going to melt into the high-backed chair inside her office. Her eyebrows were heavier than she'd ever known them to be and her mouth and throat were dry as a bone. She could barely move her arms and legs. _I knew when I became Chief Representative that it would be difficult…but this…?_

It had been a non-stop grind of work and more work all throughout the past week. She had thought that once Eurasia had dropped out of the Alliance, she would easily be able to drum up support for taking Orb away from the conflict as well. As it stood, that task now seemed insurmountable.

Cagalli blinked and nearly jumped out of her chair when the door chime outside rang. She managed to drag herself forward far enough to press the intercom switch. "It's Yuna. Can I come in?" Fighting back a sigh, Cagalli allowed him access to her office. This had been the office that her father Uzumi had used during his tenure as Chief Representative and Cagalli had found it impossible to change even a single detail about it. The spotless red carpeting and surrounding gray tiles were exactly as he had had them. Not a book or document was misplaced. The dark green drapes that hung over the edges of the windows, which Cagalli personally found completely distasteful, were undisturbed; her father had liked them and that was enough of a reason to keep them.

Yuna opened the door himself and stepped inside. When he saw her, his eyes widened slightly, not to a large degree, but enough for Cagalli to notice. "You don't look too well," he observed. "Are you alright?"

Cagalli paused and placed her hand on her forehead. "I'm just tired…that's all."

"Do you want me to get you something to drink?"

"Uh…sure. There's tea over there in that table."

Yuna poured two cups full and placed one in front of Cagalli. "May I sit?" he asked. She nodded. Cagalli held the white china cup precariously in her hands and took a careful sip. Although tea wasn't her favorite drink, the sensation it gave her desert-like digestive track was invigorating. "How have you been?" Yuna asked.

"I've managed…" Cagalli said slowly. "I've been working like crazy the past week. You wouldn't believe some of the people I've had to speak with over the phone, trying to win their support…"

Yuna could tell by the tone of her voice that she was exhausted. "I take it you haven't had much luck finding support from other nations? Right?"

Cagalli sighed painfully. Even after Eurasia's decision to leave the Earth Alliance, many of the other nations on the Earth still were leaning towards joining the Alliance. In fact, in the past few days, both the Equatorial Union and the Kingdom of Scandinavia had pledged some support to the Alliance. Those two nations had been long holdouts during the last war just as Orb had, and yet they had chosen to ally with the Atlantic Federation and the others very quickly this time around. "Everyone still wants to ally with the Alliance…even after Bradford's words and what the Alliance did to attack the PLANTs."

"Did they give you a reason why?"

"Not a clear one. What I was able to piece together on my own is that many of them are afraid of what will happen to them should they not choose to join the Alliance. The prospect of retaliation is still out there…"

"Not to mention that many of those nations on the borderline of joining were some of the most heavily affected areas by the Junius Seven drop," Yuna pointed out. "Even with what the PLANTs are offering in aid…it won't be enough to solve the problem."

"But…uh…everyone saw what the Alliance tried to do to the PLANTs." The images of the nuclear warheads exploding in space brought back haunting memories to Cagalli. She had been a first hand witness to those very same explosions two years earlier. "How can they…how can they join up with a group of people who would do something like that to the PLANTs…?"

Yuna frowned. "I'll admit…I too was very disturbed by their actions?" Cagalli looked at his expression and saw that he was being dead serious. He stirred his tea and added, "However…maybe you would understand it better…if you looked at it from not only our point of view…but also Eurasia's."

"What?"

"Think about it." He looked across the desk directly at her. "The Eurasian Federation is, and for a very long time has been, one of the most powerful nations on Earth. Their military and infrastructure are rivaled only by the Atlantic Federation and their land mass is even larger. Unlike Orb, they have the ability and the means to stand alone in this conflict. Their people are united behind their leader. Whatever he decides to do, they will follow without question. That is the kind of government structure they have set up there. Unfortunately for us…we don't have that luxury." Yuna stood up and walked slowly around her desk and stared out the open windows overlooking the bustling metropolis just outside. "Our beloved Orb Union is a small island. We have a capable military and civilian core, but our overall size is nothing compared to other nations, and many of them have joined forces with each other in the treaty."

"However…" Cagalli gulped. She couldn't find the words to answer.

"I know what you're thinking." She shot him a startled glare. "We've been down that path before, Cagalli. We were able to make it work for a little while, but…that chosen path only led us to unprecedented tragedy and loss." She could see him clench his hand in a fist at his side. Her expression gloomed and she frowned sadly. Her father's decision to remain neutral had led to an attack by the Earth Alliance that killed many people in Orb. She was reminded of that ZAFT pilot on the _Minerva_…Shinn was his name, who said he had lost his entire family and blamed Cagalli and her father for it. The last thing she wanted was to cause more pain and suffering like that…but…what was the best solution?

"I understand why you would want to keep Orb out of the Alliance," Yuna said softly. He moved to stand before her and knelt down so he was eye level with her. "But for the sake of our people…it would do us much better to take the safe route and ensure their safety. You've met Chairman Dullindal of the PLANTs. Did he seem like a man who attack Orb if we decided to join the Alliance?"

Cagalli shivered. Gilbert had been so kind and welcoming to her when she had met with him, first at Armory One, then on board the _Minerva_. He had spoken words of peace and understanding, of not wanting to let the mistakes of the past happen again. He was an intelligent man, who Cagalli personally thought would be able to guide the world in a better direction. She slowly shook her head. "No…" she murmured.

Yuna nodded. "I don't trust the Atlantic Federation any more than you do. But to be positively sure that they won't double cross us…we should agree to join the Alliance. Once things settle down…we'll figure out what our next step will be, Cagalli."

"But…" Cagalli cried, "I-I don't…I don't want to join up with the people that caused so much suffering…that…that want to destroy the PLANTs. I can't…" She began to sob openly, large tears of anguish cascading down her cheeks. She hated crying in front of people, but she couldn't stop herself. She looked down into her lap so Yuna couldn't see her expression. Yuna thinned his lips and said nothing for a few moments. It literally ripped apart his heart to see her cry like this. This decision was tearing her apart…and it hurt him. If he could have avoided doing this to her, he would have done it without hesitation. But…for the sake of their nation… Yuna reached forward and touched her shoulder, trying to give her some level of comfort. He wasn't exactly the smoothest person in the world, but he knew he had to try. She was his fiancée after all.

It was then that Yuna noticed his phone had been ringing for the past several moments. He reached into the inside pocket of his maroon colored jacket and passed Cagalli his handkerchief. She accepted it and began to wipe her golden-brown eyes while she continued to sob. Yuna stood up and brought his phone to his right ear. "Yuna, here."

"Hello? It's la Flaga."

"Oh! Hello General la Flaga," Yuna said. Cagalli stopped crying suddenly. She looked at Yuna, who now had his back turned to her and wondered what he would be talking with Mwu about now.

"I've made my decision," Mwu said quietly. "I'll go along with you."

Yuna managed a small smile. "Thank you…I-I'm grateful to you. I realize…what a monumental decision that this has been for you."

"Yes. Just remember your promise to me. I'm counting on you to keep it."

Yuna blinked. "I'll remember. And if I ever should be foolish enough to break it…you have my permission to shoot me in the face."

Mwu paused. "Thank you, Representative." The line went dead immediately after that.

"What was that?" Cagalli asked quietly.

Yuna turned slowly around and pocketed his phone. "That was General la Flaga," he said quietly. "He says that he's going to support our decision to sign the treaty."

Cagalli's eyes widened almost instantaneously. "What?!"

Yuna raised his arms in defense. "He made a difficult choice. I understand what happened to him in the past…but he realized that for the betterment of Orb…he would have to agree to sign the treaty."

Cagalli was on her feet and slammed her hand down on her desk. "You used his family!"

Yuna frowned. "What?"

"You used his family as leverage to convince him!"

"I did nothing of the sort!" Yuna responded angrily.

"How else would you have been able to convince _him_ to agree to ally with the _Atlantic Federation_?" Cagalli shouted.

Now it was Yuna's turn to slam both of his hands down on the desk. "All I told him was that Orb would stand a better chance on the opposite side of the PLANTs than the Earth Alliance! I made no mention of his family!"

"But they're only here because you and your father allowed them to be! You could easily throw them out and let the Earth Alliance capture and execute them!"

"How dare you think I would do something like that?!" Cagalli took a step back. Yuna had literally shouted so loud that the windows behind her were shaking. She plopped back down into her chair and stared at him wide-eyed and mouth aghast. Yuna saw her shock and turned away from her, placing both hands behind his head. "Cagalli…ah…I would _never_ think of doing that to anyone. Just the thought of something like that happening…it makes me sick. Now I realize the position he's in. He only agreed to take up the command of the Space Fleet if we agreed to let his family and friends assume new lives here. He's also one of the best men we have…we don't have a replacement for him. That's why I would never dream of doing something like that."

"Yuna…"

"It also goes against everything that I believe in. Family is the most important aspect of a person's existence. Without family…an individual is left in this world wandering aimlessly." Yuna's voice was shaking. "I would never dream of taking away something that important to a person. It would be a sin that I could never forgive myself for."

Cagalli felt even worse now. "I'm sorry…" Yuna glanced back at her. "I-I realize how stupid I just was. I'm just…I'm just tired…that's all…"

Yuna watched her close her eyes and lean back in her chair. He slowly made his way towards her and stepped behind her. "I know…it's okay." Cagalli jumped when she felt his hands place themselves on her shoulders. His thumbs slinked down her back towards her shoulder blades and began to trace little pressured circles around them. His palms began to squeeze her shoulders gently and Cagalli felt all the tension she had built up begin to disappear. "Does this feel good…?" he asked carefully. She slowly nodded while keeping her eyes closed. Yuna's mother had been careful to teach him how to give a proper massage. If it wasn't performed perfectly, one would end up only causing more discomfort than relief. "I know you're tired, Cagalli. I also know what a burden these past few weeks have been." He heard her sigh quietly. He continued his menstruations and she quite literally turned to goop under his hands. "I've been thinking," she heard him whisper. "Maybe it's time we got married."

Cagalli stiffened slightly, but not enough to break free of Yuna's massage. It felt too good. "Why…?" was all that she could manage to say in response.

"It would boost the morale of the nation during this critical time. Two of the country's most powerful and admired figures uniting as husband and wife. It would be a calming and inspirational image for the public."

"I…I don't know…"

"I know it's sudden…but now may be the best time." Cagalli allowed him to massage her shoulders for many minutes afterward. Almost absent-mindedly, her fingers felt for the silver ring that had been adorning her ring finger for the past week. She thought of Athrun and wondered what he was doing right now. _What am I doing? What _can _I do?_ Cagalli still had not found the answer.

_**-ZAFT Military Installation, La Grange Point 5, 1100.**_

Normally a facility such as one of the PLANT military's forward outposts just a short distance from the PLANTs would be bustling with activity. Today however, that was the case even more so. Due to the heightened sense of urgency over the past week, the facility was now overcrowded with ZAFT personnel and equipment in case the Alliance decided to launch another assault on the PLANTs in the near future. Mobile suit teams and their carriers were the primary occupants along with the facility's standard personnel, which meant that each of the hangar bays were filled to capacity. Many of the pilots chose to remain close by their machines in case something happened, but there were a few exceptions.

One of them was Yzak, who was sitting by himself inside one of the facility's training rooms watching the two people in front of him square off in their own unique way. He personally could not understand why the two of them would want to train this way, but he said nothing and watched quietly with his arms folded and his mouth shut.

In the middle of the room, Dearka stood stock still with his eyes trained ahead of him, both of his hands firmly grasping the handle of the wooden sparring sword that he held proudly in front of him. His opponent was mirroring his actions in much the same way, standing almost ten feet away from Dearka with his own sparring sword locked in an upright position in front of him. This man was tall with short, curly black hair, large eyebrows, and a slender nose. He was a good two inches taller than Dearka, but he wasn't as well built; his bicep muscles paled in comparison to Dearka's. However, Dearka knew that he could not underestimate his opponent, who's name was Cecil Abernathy, a Lieutenant in the ZAFT Intelligence Department. He had sparred with him on many occasions throughout the past two years as Dearka sought to continue his mastery of the sword that had been introduced to him by an Englishman during the last war. That man, Hugh Swanson, had taught him how to properly use a sword to teach one's self patience and the means to understand when to attack and when to defend. Dearka had used those lessons well to survive the climactic battles of the war and he had decided after the fighting to continue his training and improve his techniques even more. That was what brought him to Cecil. He was the most prominent swordsman in the entire ZAFT organization and Dearka had seen first-hand how talented he was.

Dearka slid his right foot slightly to the right, but did not do anything else. He saw Cecil smile at him. _Damn…he's good._ Dearka lunged forward and attacked from the right, aiming for Cecil's abdomen, but the dark-haired man lowered his weapon and blocked it cleanly. Dearka tried again, this time from the left and again Cecil deflected the attack easily. Dearka was forced to step back suddenly when Cecil immediately pushed his weapon forward after the second attack and retaliated with a quick upward strike that forced Cecil back, but did not break his composure. He was still maintaining the same figure and weapon positioning that he had been before Dearka had even struck. The first time Dearka had sparred with Cecil, he had lost easily. However, over time, he had gradually improved to the point where he could last for a good amount of time against him. However, that did not mean that Dearka had beaten Cecil even once.

They each took turns on the offensive, Dearka with quick attacks aiming at the mid-section and upper torso, and Cecil with almost subtle forward and side sweeps aimed at various parts of the body, from the head to the foot. Dearka struck from the left and Cecil blocked, but Dearka's weapon almost literally slid off of Cecil's and swept downwards towards his shins. Cecil left the ground shortly before Dearka's attack struck and flipped over backwards in mid-air, landing in a combat crouch with his weapon ready to defend. Dearka paused momentarily in awe and Cecil merely grinned at him slyly. Dearka charged once again, this time aiming for the shoulder, but Cecil parried by bringing his weapon up horizontally to block. They held their respective positions and struggled against once another, or to be more precise, Dearka struggled to maintain his position while Cecil didn't appear to be having a hard time at all. Dearka didn't see him do it, but Cecil somehow spun his wrist and forced Dearka's weapon off to the side, leaving him vulnerable. Cecil struck. Dearka felt the stinging blow catch him in the side and he hissed out in pain. The next thing he felt was his body crashing to the floor below him after Cecil had landed a devastating leg sweep that had knocked him off his feet. Dearka landed hard and his weapon scurried away from him. Before he could react, Dearka found himself staring Cecil's weapon pointed directly at his eyes. Cecil wasn't grinning anymore. Now he was dead serious.

"Do you surrender?" he asked crisply.

Dearka narrowed his eyes and snarled. "There is no surrender for a swordsman."

Cecil smiled. He extended a hand down to Dearka who took it without hesitation. "I see I'm having at least some affect on you," Cecil observed. He hauled Dearka onto his feet and dusted him off. "I didn't hurt you too badly, did I?"

"Ugh…you could've hit me a little bit easier in the side," Dearka said painfully, his hand holding his middle precariously.

"No I couldn't. It wouldn't have been a realistic attack if I had done otherwise." Cecil handed Dearka his weapon. "I told you when we started, I'm going to fight you as realistically as possible. That means if I have to hurt you, I will."

"And I said okay," Dearka finished. _All this is only helping me get better_. "Another go?"

"If you want," Cecil responded kindly.

On the side, Yzak sighed. He didn't necessarily enjoy watching Dearka get himself annihilated by Cecil every time, but he went to support his friend and subordinate anyway. Yzak couldn't understand why Dearka would subject himself to such a massacre, but he said nothing because Dearka would be angry. All he had ever told him was that it was something he had to do.

Before the next round started, Yzak stepped out to answer his phone which had just begun ringing. He checked the caller ID and was startled to find it blinking red with the word COUNCIL sprawled across it in neon green letters. _What do they want now?_ Yzak wondered. He took the call.

Meanwhile, on Aprilius One, the rains were just now coming to an end. The climate control system that every PLANT was equipped with was programmed to shower each one with an occasional rainstorm in order to maintain the vegetation. From inside the government office, Roske watched as the final drops fell from the artificial sky and splashed into the ground quietly. "I hope you understand why I called you here." Roske did not turn his head to acknowledge Gilbert, who was sitting behind his desk, tapping on the hardwood surface with his index finger.

"I have a good feeling as to why."

Gilbert frowned. "I told you that we couldn't afford to have any mistakes in this process, Ken. Everything had to be done exactly as I said. Now suddenly things may spiral out of control." He sighed. "What happened?"

"I did nothing contrary to your order, Chairman."

"Don't give me that!" Gilbert said forcefully. "You did nothing of the sort. Who else knew about this besides you and me? You were the one assigned to carry this out. Do you have an explanation?"

Roske finally looked at him. "I followed every single one of your orders, Gilbert."

Uncharacteristically, the next thing that followed Gilbert slamming his hand onto his desk and getting to his feet. He didn't look at Roske; he merely glanced down at his desk and kept his gaze centered there. Roske watched his old friend and superior as he appeared to struggle with what he wanted to do. Finally, he sighed and sat back down. "This isn't getting us anyway, Ken. You know I what I want to find out…now just cut the bull-shit…and tell me what happened."

Roske paused, and then back to face the window. "I followed every aspect of your orders with unquestionable precision," he began quietly. "Every detail was carefully plotted out. Everything was timed correctly. Unfortunately…it seems that the people that I picked to carry out the vital part of the plan were incapable of fulfilling those orders." Gilbert blinked his eyes slowly and pressed his folded hands against his face. "It appears as though the leader was greatly influenced by the words of Patrick Zala in the past…like many others."

"So I've heard," Gilbert whispered to himself.

"He was the only other person I told about the charade with that girl Meer pretending to be Lacus Clyne. When I gave him the orders to seek her out…he took it upon himself to carry those orders out in his own fiendish way." Roske was speaking in an incredibly slow manner. "Reports uncovered by sources within the Defense Department indicate that he and his men illegally secured possession of several of our new ASSH mobile suits. They then proceeded to carry out an assassination attempt on the real Lacus Clyne."

Gilbert sighed quietly. "Did you at least determine where she is?"

Roske shook his head sadly. "Everything…including the beacons they were supposed to be carrying was left behind. When we tried to track them down, they were coming from the PLANTs. The only people who knew where they really were…were they themselves…and eventually their targets."

Gilbert chewed on his lower lip. So far everything he had hoped to accomplish with the duplicate Lacus had been inconclusive in its results. He'd been able to calm the public down and give himself and the Council time to plan out their next maneuvers in peace. However, he still had a major problem on his hands should the public find out that the Lacus that had spoken to them was a fake. If he played his strategy correctly, he should be able to keep the public from guessing that Lacus Clyne was in fact Meer Campbell. However, the threat that her true identity would be exposed was still a grave threat. Gilbert would have to do something quickly in order to salvage this mirage that he had put into place.

"You realize how delicate this situation is, Ken?"

The Intelligence Director nodded slowly. "I do, Mr. Chairman."

"You, I, and Miss Campbell…are the only ones who currently know what our strategy is. Athrun Zala has an inkling of what is going on…" He saw Ken slowly turn his way, "…but he doesn't know the entire strategy. He was the one who exposed me to the assassination attempt when I met with him last week."

"Did he say how many others knew about it?"

Gilbert shook his head. "Based on what I got out of him, it was covered up as an explosion caused by natural events. Therefore some people besides him know about it." _How many remains to be seen._ "In our current situation…careless mistakes could possibly cost us everything. I can guess that you realize just how close we could have come to destroying our own work with this failure."

"Yes, sir."

"Our situation depends greatly on what our next maneuver will be. With our duplicate out in the open, we will have to be very careful about our next move. If what we decide on ends up backfiring, it could mean the end of us. We cannot afford to have any more mistakes, Ken."

Roske closed his eyes. "I understand, sir."

Gilbert brought his hand up to clutch his forehead. "In this kind of situation…any capable leader would not hesitate to discipline you for this potentially cataclysmic failure." Roske didn't budge. "However…in our current situation…I don't believe I can afford to do that. You and your wife mean a tremendous amount to the citizen of the PLANTs. If I disciplined you for some unseen event…the public outcry would be astronomical." Ken Roske and his lovely wife Margery were widely known around the PLANTs and the world for that matter for their humanitarian efforts in providing relief to famished and devastated areas, mostly due to their immense fortune built through Roske's careful management of his self-created steel manufacturing business. It was the steel that came out of the Roske Company's factories around the PLANTs that went into the armor of the ZAFT mobile suits and warships. Instead of lavishing in the wealth created by the contract he'd made with ZAFT to provide the materials, Roske had used the profits to raise money for humanitarian efforts, which had won him widespread acclaim. Right now, he was probably the most popular person on the PLANT Supreme Council. "However…I will tell you this, Ken," Gilbert warned. "I cannot tolerate any more failures. Everything we do from now on must be precise and perfect. If not…we and the PLANTs will be suffering from the consequences for many years."

Roske nodded. "I will make sure that I do not fail you again, Mr. Chairman."

Gilbert closed his eyes. "I appreciate that."

_**-Aprilius One Business District, 1400.**_

It took Athrun a few seconds to realize that the chime he was hearing wasn't emanating from inside his own mind. He glanced at the door to his hotel suite and heard the bell ring again, signaling that someone was trying to get his attention. Athrun shut the book he had been reading and slowly made his way over to the door. The bell rang again just before he managed to open the lock. "Okay, okay, geez…" He finally managed to undo the latch and opened the door about halfway. When he did, he was staring directly into a familiar frowning face; one that Athrun had gotten very used to during his teenage years. "Yzak?!"

"You little bastard!" The next thing Athrun knew he was being pushed back inside his suite with Yzak's strong hands nearly throwing him onto his back as he pushed him inside. "What the hell is going on?!"

"W-wait a minute, Yzak! Hey!" Yzak was wearing a bright green suit with a white shirt and black tie, something that Athrun personally never thought he would see the older boy wearing. Athrun managed to wrestle Yzak's hands off of him and shouted, "Can you explain to me what this is all about? What are you doing here?"

"Why don't _you_ tell _me_ what this is all about, Athrun?" Yzak yelled. "We were pulled away from our extremely busy schedule in order to meet with the Council. And guess what the hell they tell us? They tell _us_ to be your bodyguards!"

"Us?" It was then that Athrun realized that there was a third person in his suite. The wavy blond hair and dark complexion was an instant giveaway to Dearka's identity, even though he too was seemingly too well-dressed for Athrun to recognize him as the Dearka he knew. The other pilot offered a casual wave in Athrun's direction. "Dearka!"

Yzak grumbled, "Why should I, of all people, be called back from the frontline for a lousy job like this?"

"But…personal guard?" Athrun asked dumbfounded.

Dearka sighed. "You made a request to leave the premises, right?"

"Uh…"

"It's probably because of these circumstances, but I'm guessing that we can't have you wandering around the PLANTs alone, even though you're from a friendly nation."

Athrun was finally starting to understand what was going on; why his old friends had suddenly barged in out of the blue. "R-right. I was told that. They said that someone would be accompanying me. But…I never imagined…you two?"

Yzak frowned. "Yes, us!"

Dearka elbowed Athrun gently in the side. "We'd better get going. You know how he doesn't like to wait around for very long."

"Oh…" Athrun nodded. "Yeah…let's go."

With his two friends standing behind him, Athrun led the way to the hotel's main elevator which would take them down into the lobby. "Well, looks like someone who knows a little something set this up," Dearka commented once they were inside the lift. Athrun thought about that statement for a moment, and finally decided that since he had met with Gilbert, who obviously knew about the relationship between he and the other two, plus there was the fact that Dearka's father Tad was also on the Council, it had been only natural that Yzak and Dearka would be selected to escort him around the PLANTs. "So, where do you wanna go?" Dearka asked him as they stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby."

"If you say shopping, I'm going to _kill you_!" Yzak said forcefully, but quietly.

Athrun chuckled. "Not even close. I want to visit the graves of Nicol and the others."

Dearka and Yzak both frowned. "You sure?" Dearka asked him.

Athrun nodded. "I don't get out to the PLANTs too often…so I had my heart set on visiting them while I have the chance."

An hour later, after making a quick stop at a flower shop just outside the business district to purchase three bouquet's of multi-colored flowers, the three former members of the legendary le Creuset Team arrived at the PLANT National Cemetery located on Aprilius One. They came here to pay their respects to three of their former comrades who were not as lucky as they had been and had failed to survive the war.

With the graves situated in alphabetical order, and since they had entered through the south entrance which was where the bottom letters were located, the first gravestone they came across was that of the first one to die. Rusty McKenzie had been a red coat just as they had, and of the five red coats within the Team, he had been the most jovial and upbeat. Even as he prepared to depart with the rest of them on what would be his final mission, Rusty had tried to cheer everyone up by reassuring them that once they secured the Earth Forces' mobile suits based at the Heliopolis colony, they would be able to return to the PLANTs. Athrun had been beside Rusty when they went ahead of the capture unit to confiscate the final two mobile suits. During the gunfight that followed, Rusty had died when a bullet broke through his helmet visor and struck him in the face, killing him instantly. If it hadn't been for the unforeseen luck of finding his old friend Kira at the same factory, Athrun more than likely would have destroyed the entire place due to the rage he was overcome with after Rusty's death. He was the first of his friends to die, at the young age of sixteen, but sadly he would not be the last.

Merely a few hours later, they lost another friend. Miguel Aiman may have been a cocky hot-head, but he was also a strong young man who wanted to help everyone around him succeed to the best of their abilities. He was the oldest of the friends at nineteen, but he didn't use his advanced age to his advantage. He had always doted on the other team members and only insisted that he was regarded as the senior officer because of his age; he said he had enlisted to help his mother and younger brother who lived in the PLANTs. He had been killed when Athrun's other friend Kira, piloting the Earth Forces' mobile suit X-105 Strike, sliced his GINN apart and it subsequently exploded. Athrun had been next to Miguel when he had died, and it had been because of his slow reaction to Kira's presence that Miguel had been killed. Miguel's loss had left a deep rift between the team at the time, as without him, they no longer had an older presence to look up to.

However, the last of the gravestones Athrun, Yzak, and Dearka came to was the hardest one for them to face. The youngest member of the team, only fourteen when he had enlisted, but easily the kindest and most cheerful, Nicol Amalfi's death had shattered the psyches of all three men. As Athrun crouched down to lay the bouquet on his gravestone, he still found it hard to believe that Nicol of all people had been a casualty of the war. Nicol had dreamed of being a musician, playing the piano professionally, and performing grand concerts in front of thousands of people. In his spare time on board the warships, he would write score music and even perform for the crew on occasion. When he was cut down by the Strike on Earth and was killed, it had driven Athrun to the point where he was within mere inches of not only killing his best friend Kira, but killing himself in the process. He still didn't believe he had ever gotten over Nicol's death, even after forgiving Kira. His loss was a scar that Athrun would bear in his heart for the rest of his existence. Athrun offered his deceased friend a salute and Yzak and Dearka joined him. They not only saluted a comrade, but a good friend that none of them would ever forget.

Yzak then informed Athrun, absent-mindedly it appeared, that the PLANTs had decided on what their next move was going to be. "To be deployed for self-defense purposes only?" Athrun asked, reiterating what Yzak had just told him. "So ZAFT is taking action?"

Yzak frowned. "It can't be helped, can it? The fact is they fired nuclear missiles at us, _again_. We can't sit back and do nothing." Athrun sighed. _That sounds an awful lot like what the Chairman told me,_ he thought.

"We went on a counterattack mission when their first wave arrived," Dearka added quietly. "Based on their actions, I'm convinced that they had their minds set on eliminating the PLANTs that way."

"And what about you?" Yzak asked him. Athrun glanced at him. "What are you doing all the way out here? It's not like you to just appear out of the blue, especially in a place like this." Athrun blinked his green eyes quickly and turned away. "What about Orb?" Yzak demanded. "What will they do?"

"Yzak," Dearka warned him.

Athrun clenched his right hand into a fist. "I don't know yet." He regretted not knowing what was happening in the nation he was supposed to be working for, but he was telling the truth. He knew what he wanted Cagalli would do, but he wasn't sure if it had happened or not. He was too far out of the loop right now to receive any critical information.

"Come back to us, Athrun." Those were the next words he heard. What shocked him even more was that they came from Yzak's mouth. He wasn't demanding that he return. He was _asking_ him. "I'm sure there'll be obstacles…but I'll see to it that there isn't a problem. Because of who you are…you ought to return to the PLANTs." Athrun looked back at his old friend. This didn't seem to be the Yzak he remembered. This wasn't the hard nosed young man who would brazenly put himself in danger in order to achieve a measure of glory. This Yzak was more withdrawn, more serious. It was almost as if he had matured into a completely different person in the two years that Athrun had been away from the PLANTs.

"Yeah…I know. But…"

"Dearka and I…probably would have been dead long ago…after everything we did. You as well." All three of them had been guilty of what would be defined as treason against the PLANTs during the last war. "But former Chairwoman Canaver put her career on the line for us. And then Chairman Dullindal said this. 'If the adults who started the war send youngsters to fight the war, and then label those youngsters who make a mistake as criminals and kill them off, who will lead the PLANTs of tomorrow? It is the youth who have experienced this agony that we should look up to, and we should turn to them to build a peaceful tomorrow!'"

Athrun nodded slightly. "I heard about that." Gilbert had gone before the military tribunal convened after the war, not as the Chairman, but as the former commander of the Jachin Due space fortress where the war's climactic battle had taken place. Many people believed that Gilbert had saved the lives of those soldiers being put on trial, including Yzak and Dearka themselves, and that he also secured his election as Supreme Council Chairman later on with that moving plea.

Yzak nodded as well. "That's why I still wear a military uniform. It's the only thing I know. But I also think I can still make a difference in things. For the PLANTs…and those friends who died…" Yzak's voice trailed off slightly. Athrun had a feeling why. Yzak's own mother had been killed during the final battle inside Jachin Due, a victim of a gunshot wound inflicted by Athrun's own father Patrick. Athrun still didn't think Yzak had gotten over his mother's death.

"Yzak…" Dearka whispered to his friend.

Shaking his head quickly, Yzak regained his composure. "That's why you have to do something too, Athrun. You have the ability. Why let it go to waste?" Athrun had heard that phrase uttered to him many times before. It was unquestionable that he had the ability to make a difference in what happened around the world. Everyone around him knew it as well: Cagalli, Kira, Yzak, Gilbert. Athrun too wanted to believe that he could make a difference. But he was reluctant to do it. What if he really couldn't make a difference in what happened? What would happen then? That question had dogged Athrun for as long as he could remember.

_**-Barkhesh Residence, Orb Union, 1600.**_

Sea gulls cried out over the coast line as they searched for food that would act as some sort of dinner for them. Below them, crystal blue waves of salt water lapped gently at the rocks below the home situated above the cliff. The waves also lapped up against the wooden pier that extended out from the sandy beach below the house making it difficult for the small fishing boat that was attempting to make its way over to the pier. The boat was occupied by two individuals, both of whom knew this area very well. The boat's skipper, a lanky man with short blue hair gently maneuvered his craft over to the dock until he positioned it close enough that the scarred man standing on the pier could grab onto the boat's lines and secure it to the pier. As he did this, Andy called out to the boat's skipper. "Nice to see you again, Neumann! How goes the haul today?"

"Couldn't be better," Arnold Neumann called back. He cut the boat's motor and moved to help Andy secure the lines. "This time of year is the best time to get a good sized haul."

"You making a lot of profit at the market?"

"Are you kidding? For some reason, this nation loves its fish," Neumann joked. After the end of the war, the _Archangel's_ ex-helmsman had been able to land a job doing what he enjoyed most in his spare time. He was a fisherman with his own boat and a contract with sellers in the Orb markets where he would sell his catch. Neumann tugged on the ropes twice and gave an affirmative signal to Andy and the man sitting behind him in the boat. As this individual gingerly began to get to his feet, Neumann noticed the other two people coming towards him on the pier. "Good evening, Miss Lacus! Kira!"

"Good evening, Mr. Neumann!" Lacus called back. "It's nice to see you again!"

Neumann's passenger got up onto the dock beside him. "I'll only be a minute," he whispered to Neumann.

"Okay." Neumann and Andy watched the man, clothed in loose fitting black trousers and a navy blue sweater, walk slowly down the dock, his left arm pulled close to his body and concealed below the elbow with a black cloth. "Who is that guy?" Neumann asked Andy quietly.

"He's one of Lacus' friends. He works all over the world gathering information for her and everybody else involved in Terminal."

"Oh, so he's like Miriallia then," Neumann said.

Andy nodded. "The only difference is we have no clue where this guy came from. The only thing we know is that he was a pilot during the last war and got hurt pretty badly. That's about it."

At the other end of the dock, Lacus and Kira both stood and waited for the man to approach. The cool ocean breeze tossed around his long, light green hair that stopped just above his shoulders. Lacus folded her hands in front of her and said, "It's nice to see you again, Mr. Locin. I hope you've been well."

The man smiled. "As well as I can be, Miss Lacus," he said softly. He glanced at Kira and nodded at him. Kira did the same. He extended a brown file toward Lacus and said, "The information you requested."

"Thank you," Lacus said as she took it from him.

"Reports from Eurasia, North Africa, and Carpentaria as you requested," the man, whose real name was Locin Andujar, told them. "I've read them. Based on these reports, it appears as though the PLANTs are going to be making a big move rather soon."

Lacus skimmed through the file and frowned. "Oh dear. Things don't look to be getting any better, do they?"

"I heard that there was a little scuffle here last week," Locin said to Kira. "Is everyone alright?"

Kira nodded. "Everyone's fine."

"That's good." He glanced at Lacus. "Chairman Dullindal of the PLANTs is going to give a speech in a few hours. You two should probably watch it. That will give you a strong indication of what the PLANTs are going to be doing."

As he turned to leave, Lacus said, "Won't you stay, Mr. Locin? We'd be more than happy to have you for dinner."

Locin stopped. He glanced over his shoulder at them and smiled slightly, as much as his permanently split lip would let him. "Thank you for your kindness, but I must be on my way." As he turned away, he added quietly, "I cannot stay in one place for very long." He walked back to the boat.

Kira took Lacus by the shoulder and started to walk her back to the stairway that would take them back up to the house. "He seems so sad," Lacus whispered to Kira. "It's almost like he is afraid to come out of a hiding place."

Kira glanced over his shoulder at the fishing boat as it was making its way back out to sea. Locin was sitting in the center of the boat with his back to them, his long green hair once again being tossed about by the breeze. "Perhaps it's because he has no place to go back to."

_**-Seiran Mansion, Orb Union, 1800.**_

"Because of the unprovoked attack by the military forces of the Earth Alliance, the PLANTs have decided that they cannot sit by idly any longer. Our citizens have demanded a response and we have agreed. That is why, for _self-defense purposes only_, the PLANTs will be reinforcing our bases on Earth, including Carpentaria, North Africa, and South America. However, I wish to stress to every person around the world that these actions are not _aggressive_ actions. We of the PLANTs have no intention of spreading the fight to parts of the world that do not wish to fight. It is our hope that these actions will quell the conflict now boiling across the world and bring everlasting peace to the world once again…"

_I have to admit, he's_ very _good with his words,_ Yuna told himself. He watched Gilbert give his address from start to finish and every single word the PLANT Chairman spoke seemed to emanate with a passionate cry for peace and stability. _He really believes he can stop the war without anyone getting seriously hurt. _

Beside him, Unato was carefully reading a report that had been given to him minutes before Gilbert's speech had begun. It contained more detailed information on the PLANTs' "self-defense" maneuvers gathered by Orb Intelligence operatives. His father passed Yuna the report and said, "We can't delay this any longer," as Yuna began to read the document himself. "We have to get it done _now_. Will everything be alright?"

Yuna scanned the document and was slightly shocked that ZAFT could have mobilized this much military force for a mere self-defense maneuver. _5,000_ _to South America…7,500 to Carpentaria. This doesn't entirely seem like a simple self-defense initiative. Do the PLANTs have something else in mind?_ "It should be," Yuna said. "As long as you hammer out the treaty, we should be fine. With the military's support it shouldn't be much of a hassle."

"What about Cagalli?"

Yuna shrugged. "She may seem out of it at times, but she's very clever Father. As I've already told you it wouldn't be easy to convince her to agree to this."

"She's still just a child, Yuna," Unato pointed out. "You have to make her understand what her position is in the big picture. She's the beacon of hope for our nation. Without her support, this won't work. Can you convince her?"

Yuna ceased his reading of the document and laid it on his father's desk. "I can't guarantee you anything…but I'll try."

"Did you tell her about the wedding?" Unato asked.

"Yes."

"Good."

_**-Minerva, 2000.**_

Talia arrived on the bridge a few minutes after Roland had first called her there. When she stepped inside, she saw both Roland and Arthur, who had been in the process of changing shifts, standing behind Bart's station while the younger man worked at his console.

"Captain!" Arthur said as he and Roland saluted her.

"What's the problem?" Talia asked.

"Here. Take a look." Roland stepped aside to allow Talia a better view of Bart's station. Bart was adjusting the head-set over his ears and playing with the controls to the ship's radio channel.

"What is it?"

"We don't know, that's the problem," Roland told her.

Bart removed his head-set at this time and turned up the volume levels on the radio. "Captain. Listen to this," he said.

Talia and the others listened as the radio broadcast finally reached their ears. "_Minerva_. Can you hear me? You must act immediately. ZAFT will be landing in South America and Carpentaria any time now. When that happens, Orb will change its position. A white chip surrounded by black chips will flip and become black itself. You must escape before that happens. Can you hear me, _Minerva_?"

"It's been coming in over a secret line for the past fifteen minutes," Bart informed her.

"Plus the frequency wasn't disclosed, so we can't track it," Roland added. "We don't know where it's coming from."

"But if it's a true warning, we're in trouble if we don't act upon it," Arthur pointed out. "Captain?"

Talia sighed and reached forward to open a radio channel. "This is Captain Talia Gladys of the _Minerva. _Who are you? And what is the purpose of this communication?"

"Oh, well hello. I'm so glad to hear a voice. How do you do?" Both Roland and Arthur looked at each other dumbfounded. "Well, it's like I told you. If you don't get a move on, you'll be facing all kinds of trouble."

"You can't expect a soldier to listen to someone who won't give us his name," Talia said through the open channel. "So who are you, and why are you telling us this?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Do you know about a man by the name of Andrew Waltfeld? Well, this is a message from him." Talia thought she heard laughter coming from the other end. "In any case, I've given you the warning. Once the drop begins, Orb will likely hammer out an agreement to join the Atlantic Federation's alliance, despite Representative Athha and General la Flaga's best efforts to stop it. If you want to stay, that is your choice. The decision is yours to make, Captain. I wish you all the best of luck." Then the line went dead.

"The Desert Tiger," Talia murmured quietly.

"Captain?"

"Can you find where that signal originated from?" Talia ordered.

Bart typed in several commands on his keyboard. "Nothing. I can't get through."

"Roland, check the readouts. Find out where the Earth Forces units are currently located."

"Do you think he was telling the truth?" Roland asked.

"I don't know," Talia said simply. "But it won't hurt to check."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Have you been able to reach Carpentaria at all, Bart?" she asked.

"No. I don't know if it's because the Earth Forces are on higher alert or what, but I'm getting severe interference and can't reach Carpentaria, even by laser."

"So in other words, we're cut off," Talia said darkly.

"Captain…are you thinking of leaving Orb?" Arthur asked.

"Although we couldn't clarify it, the voice on the other end claimed it was Andrew Waltfeld, the Desert Tiger. You heard it yourself. He was a hero during the last war and returned to the PLANTs wounded. His current whereabouts are unknown however. If it really was him…we may have no choice but to believe him."

"Yes."

"What's the status of the repairs to the _Minerva_, Arthur?"

"Chief Aves said that he wants to make a final check on the ship's internal electrical systems, but other than that he reports that we'll be ready to sortie at your command," Arthur said.

Talia nodded. "All right then. We'll have to do it without orders since we can't reach Carpentaria. The _Minerva_ will leave port the day after tomorrow once Chief Aves has finished with the final checks. Notify all hands! Once we leave, we can be certain that we'll go to battle before long! I have no doubt that the Earth Forces will be waiting for us somewhere along the line. Be prepared for anything!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

_**-Orb Minister's Office, October 19, C.E. 73, 1100.**_

Cagalli was in agony. At least, that's what Yuna thought as he looked down upon her sitting form as her eyes and mind took in the news that he had come to deliver. "It…it can't be…" she whispered.

Yuna closed his eyes and folded his arms. "They're saying it's for "self-defense purposes only." Unfortunately…war can have a life of its own. And given the actions of the Earth Forces in response to the PLANTs' movements…well…"

Cagalli began to shiver. "D-does this mean…?"

Yuna nodded. "We've decided to enter the alliance treaty with the Atlantic Federation. The formal signing will take place tomorrow morning." He saw Cagalli close her eyes and thin her lips. He felt bad because he knew those words hurt her very badly. "Cagalli…we can't repeat the tragedy of burning our nation again. We're only doing this for the betterment of our people!"

Cagalli sighed sadly. "I know…I know…"

She looked as if she was going to start crying again. Yuna started to reach for her to attempt to comfort her, but he stopped himself. _It may be best to leave her alone for a little while,_ he told himself. _She needs time to digest all of this._ "If that's all Cagalli…I'll take my leave." She nodded slowly, but didn't look at him. Yuna frowned. As he exited her office, he rubbed the back of his head gently with his palm. _I hate to see her like this. I feel like such an ass for putting her through all this._

A few moments later, inside the Morgenrate dry-dock, the _Minerva_ received a transmission from the Minister's Offices. "Does it have a name on it?" Talia asked Bart.

"The last of it is coming through now, Captain."

She turned to Arthur who was at his console to her left. "Did you inform Morgenrate that we'll be leaving tomorrow morning?"

"Yes. They said they'll have all their people and equipment off by tonight," Arthur informed her. "We also received confirmation on that matter you asked about, Captain." Talia frowned. "They confirmed it. Orb is going to join the alliance," Arthur finished.

Talia sighed. "We don't have any choice then. Make sure everything is ready for tomorrow."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"I have the rest of the message, Captain," Bart reported. She saw his eyes widen. "It's…from Chief Representative Athha!"

Talia backed up slightly. "Can you read it?"

"Yes. It reads: 'I'm terribly sorry for everything that has transpired. It was never my intention to put you and your brave crew in danger. If I put you through anything that saddened or angered you, I apologize. I wish from the bottom of my heart that things had turned out better, but I must maintain my duties to Orb. I wish you and your crew the best of luck on your journey. Signed, Cagalli Yula Athha.' That's all it says."

Talia paused for a moment. _Somehow I don't think that this turn of events was her fault._ "Does that message have a return frequency?"

"Yes."

"Send a reply. 'We greatly appreciate everything you and your nation has done for us. We are disappointed by the way things ended up, but it cannot be helped. We will remember your sincerity for bidding us farewell. Thank you for everything. From Captain Talia Gladys and the crew of the _Minerva_.' Send it as soon as you can."

"Yes, ma'am!"

After an hour passed, Cagalli's farewell message had circulated throughout the entire ship. "Well, I guess there's nothing we can do about it now," Lunamaria commented. She, Shinn, and Rey were on their way to the mess hall which was on the deck above their current location, so in reality they were first heading for the elevator which would take them to the next deck.

"Did they give any explanation as to why?" Shinn asked.

"I don't know the details. All I know is that Meyrin said that Representative Athha sent the ship an apology about an hour ago saying she was sorry for what happened."

"Yeah, right," Shinn mumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing. So when does this ZAFT drop take place?"

"I don't know the details to that either. All that's clear to me now is that Orb is now an enemy. It stinks, because I kinda liked this nation," Lunamaria said. She glanced at her hands which were now a golden brown color from all the tanning she'd been able to do while on shore leave. "It does have a pretty nice climate." She saw Shinn frown and quickly added, "Oh, sorry. This must be hard for you, Shinn."

"Not really," Shinn responded. "Orb's now in an alliance with the Earth Forces; the same people who attacked Orb in the last war."

"Shinn," Rey said to him.

"I know, I know. I just can't get over how irresponsible and selfish this nation is! If they're now our enemy, then I'll destroy this place myself if I get the chance!"

"Shinn takes it easy!" Lunamaria warned him. "You freak everybody out when you get like that, you know. Including _me_!"

Shinn sighed. "I can't help it. I hate this damn place so much!"

"What you need to do is put your hatred of this place in a different part of your mind and concentrate on what's directly in front of you," Rey advised him. "You'll only end up hurting yourself."

"Whatever." The trio reached the elevator and signaled for it. When it arrived, Brad was standing inside of it, clad in his red and white pilot suit, which he never seemed to take off.

The older pilot brushed past the younger ones and said, "Be ready for combat tomorrow."

"What? Why?" Lunamaria asked.

"Because we're at war now. Anything can happen and you have to be prepared for it," he said quietly with his back to them. "If you're not prepared for anything, you'll only end up dead or those around you will." Lunamaria was unnerved by his words. She turned to Rey and Shinn to see their responses, but Shinn merely shrugged, and Rey said nothing as usual. They boarded the elevator and rode up to the next deck.

_**-Eurasian Military Installation, Port Said, Egypt, Mouth of the Suez Canal, 2200 (local time).**_

Located on a strip of land carved out of the main continent by the two halves of the Suez Canal, one of the most important supply routes in the world, and to Eurasia in particular, just to the east of the metropolitan area of Port Said, the military base guarding the mouth of the canal where it met the Mediterranean Sea was nothing compared to the massive bases located at Carpentaria and Kaoshung. The garrison guarding the base and in turn the canal was of modest size, approximately 7,500 soldiers, several heavy anti-aircraft batteries, plus a scattered amount of older model mobile suits and combat aircraft, but this wasn't considered a black eye in the eyes of the base commanders. The Suez Canal was a major trading route for every nation in the world; it just so happened to be located on Eurasian soil.

Most of the garrison was asleep at this hour of the night; the only soldiers on duty were those in charge of the night shift, which had just gone on duty an hour before. A reflection of that was the fact that the base's command center was being operated by only a handful of men. That was the atmosphere Lieutenant Paxton Siergnov walked into when he entered the most important room on the base. He raised a hand in greeting to his fellow soldiers who greeted him back in the same manner. "_Anything new?_"

"_Nothing, Lieutenant. Quiet as a mouse._"

"_Excellent._" Siergnov took his seat at his station near the back of the room which would allow him to oversee the entire operation. He unfolded a newspaper that had been given to him when he arrived for duty and sighed when he read the headline. "_'Orb Union Ready to Join Alliance.' Yet another domino has fallen,_" he commented to himself. Eurasia now appeared to be standing alone against the Atlantic Federation's alliance, but it wasn't as if many of the Eurasian citizens had expected anything else. Their nation was vastly different from any others on the planet or in space. They held different ideals and beliefs. They had suffered much during the last war, and many had no desire, as the Premier had said, to continue to fight. Siergnov himself was a war veteran, and he had seen far too much carnage and bloodshed himself. He never wanted to see anything like what he saw back then again.

Minutes passed with seemingly nothing to show for it. It was a typical late night shift.

Siergnov was finally taken away from his paper by something that he did not hear too often. A quiet, but continuous pinging sound emanating from one of the sensor stations at the front of the command center. The soldier in charge of the station was expertly going about ascertaining what the discrepancy was. "_What is it?_" Siergnov inquired.

"_I-I don't know, Lieutenant,_" the soldier responded professionally. "_Heat sensors indicate that the object at high speeds from the northwest._"

"_Can you determine what it is?_" Siergnov asked as he stood up and began to make his way down to the station, where many of the other personnel were now gathering.

The soldier paused. "_It is a high speed object…moving at approximately 900 kilometers an hour…at a distance of fifty two kilometers. Wait…there are other objects of similar discrepancy approaching as well…from the same direction._"

"_How long until they reach us_?"

The soldier glanced mournfully at his superior. "_Four minutes._"

Siergnov frowned. "_Sound the alarm. Get all personnel to their stations immediately. I want those objects identified!_"

The time passed quickly. Alarms were blasting throughout the base and men were rushing to their stations all across the base perimeter. Siergnov and the soldiers in the command center continued to track the objects as they rapidly approached. "_Lieutenant! I have ascertained what the objects are!_"

"_What are they_?"

"_Missiles! There are tons of them heading our direction…!_" Siergnov did not hear the sentence's final words. Instead, his ears picked up on a different sound. This sound was increasing in volume as time passed and it was directly above them. It was a sound the Siergnov had heard many times in the past and one that he hoped never to hear again. The next sound was also one that the Lieutenant never hoped to hear again; the sound of an explosion.

The blast shook the command center as the first missile struck. "_They hit the hangars! Hangars A and C are aflame!_"

"_Scramble fire crews! All personnel to Level 1 Alert status!_"

"_We're under attack!_"

"_Is it part of that ZAFT drop plan that we were told about?"_

"_No_," Siergnov interrupted. He could hear the next batch of missiles approaching. "_The pitch is too high for ZAFT missiles._" His soldiers looked at him with an increasing amount of anxiety in their faces. The sound was almost directly on top of them now. "_They're Earth Forces._" Those were the last words Siergnov ever spoke.

_**-Moscow, Russia, Eurasian Federation, 2130 (local time).**_

The officer ran as fast as he could. Sweat poured down his forehead, his heart thumped at an incredible speed, his knees and feet ached, and his breath was coming in fast pants. He carried with him the last transmission that had been received from a small, but critical base. He did not believe it when he had read it, but when the satellite images came in, the scene was unimaginable.

He stopped to catch his breath at the doors to the Premier's office quarters and showed his identification card to the two armed guards stationed at the doorway. One of the men opened the door for him and the officer literally spilled inside. The Premier was sitting with his back to the door, his body completed masked by the confines of his chair. Standing beside him was his bodyguard, the head of the Red Men, also with his back turned. The officer slowly approached his leader's position and said, "_Premier! Premier Bradford…!_"

Bradford extended a ragged old hand out from behind his chair. The officer placed the message in his hand and saw Bradford bring it in front of his eyes to read it. It was then that the officer noticed that Seymour was glaring back at him. "_What happened?_" Seymour demanded.

The officer stiffened and gulped. "_S…Suez had been taken by the Earth Alliance…!_" Much to the officer's surprise, Seymour merely turned his head back to the window and said nothing. The officer then switched his attention to his leader, who was still holding the message in front of him. Saying nothing, Bradford's old hand slowly crumpled the piece of paper into an unruly ball and squeezed it forcefully.

_**-Orb Union, 1230 (local time).**_

Cagalli was used to having her phone ring in the middle of the day, so when she heard the device bark out its usual chime she didn't think anything particular about it. "Yes?"

"There's a call for you from the military headquarters, Representative."

_Military headquarters?_ "Ah…yes, I'll take it." _What is this about?_ "Yes?"

"Cagalli? It's Mwu. Listen, something's happened that you should know about. I'm sending it to you now." Cagalli waited patiently for the transmission from the General to appear on her computer screen. Once again, she didn't think anything about it. It wasn't until the final word had been printed on her screen that Cagalli realized the full magnitude of what had occurred. _What? How could they…?_

That attitude was equally shared by Yuna once he received the news in his own office. "You're sure that this is accurate?" he asked the envoy who had given him the information.

"Yes, sir. The base at Suez was almost completely obliterated. The Earth Alliance now has control over the canal."

Yuna sighed painfully. "They attack a nation that says it has no desire to fight. That sounds awfully familiar." What had started out as a proposed alliance of nations to relieve devastated areas after the Junius Seven drop had now turned into a world war.

_**-Lord Djibril's Mansion, 2330 (local time).**_

Djibril was awakened in the middle of the night by the annoying sound of his bedside phone ringing. He threw the covers off of himself and picked up the receiver. "What is it?" he asked gruffly.

"Are you watching television?" said the voice on the other end of the line.

Djibril rolled his eyes. "No. Why?"

"Turn it on. You're not going to believe this."

Slowly, with his mind still desperately calling for him to go back to sleep, Djibril scrounged for the remote control and somehow managed to turn on the television in his bedroom. What he saw on the screen caused him to nearly go limp. His expression did not change, but his mind was instantly enraged by what he saw. Images of smoke and fire over the Eurasian military base in Egypt with the headline, "ALLIANCE TAKES SUEZ CANAL!" in bold letters. Djibril suddenly wasn't tired any longer.

_**-Earth Orbit, October 20, C.E. 73, 0000.**_

High above the Earth, the better part of the ZAFT Space Fleet had drifted into a stationary orbit just above the atmosphere. _Nazca, Laurasia,_ and other classes of warships were clustered in grouping of up to thirty warships. These ships were not the major part of the strategy known as the self-defense initiative however. Those parts were now positioned in the underbellies of the warships, getting set to drop into the atmosphere and reinforce their counterparts on the surface of the planet.

Mobile suit containers were attached to almost every warship that was suited to carry them. Over 500 mobile suits, GINNs, DINNs, BuCUEs, and other models, prepared to be deployed.

Finally, the order came. "All units. Prepare for descent!" Pilots clutched their controls and waited patiently as the countdown began. "Five…four…three…two…"

"May our journey be smooth and victorious," one pilot called out.

"One…launch!" An instant later, the mobile suits and their pilots were falling through the atmosphere towards their destinations. Now, the Second Bloody Valentine War had truly begun.

**END PHASE-13.**


	15. Phase 14 Blood in the Water

**Phase-14 Blood in the Water**

_**-Orb Minister's Office, October 20, C.E. 73, 0900.**_

A swathe of fire, smoke, and destruction; that was the image that was being displayed all across the world the morning after the Earth Alliance operation that led to the capture of the all important Suez Canal in Egypt. Mobile suits, planes, hangars, even the canal's lock facilities had all been badly damaged by the attack. The city of Port Said had also been damaged by errant missiles and air strikes, which produced images of frightened civilians hiding in their homes as the Earth Forces troops moved into the city after securing the base.

"What you are looking at right now is a live shot of the critical lock chambers, or more precisely what is left of the chambers, at the mouth of the Suez Canal," a reporter said grimly to his viewing audience. "As you can see there has been a tremendous amount of damage incurred, not only to the canal's operating facilities themselves, but also to the military base which was situated near the mouth of the canal and the city of Port Said as well. This once again, is a result of the attack launched last night by the forces of the Earth Alliance now widely believed to be a preemptive strike against the Eurasian Federation after it was confirmed late last night that the Earth Alliance nations agreed to a declaration of war against the Eurasian Federation and all of its member states, which includes Egypt and subsequently the Suez Canal. We have yet to receive an official word from the leaders of either the Atlantic Federation or the Eurasian Federation, but President Copeland did release a statement earlier this morning in which he stated that, 'Because of Eurasia's unwillingness to cooperate with the other nations of the Earth, and because of the blatant disregard for the safety of the rest of the world in not joining the Alliance, we have deemed it necessary to designate Eurasia as a hostile nation.' It remains to be seen what the Alliance's overall plan is…but based on their actions as of now…" The reporter's voice trailed off to give his audience another clear view of the destruction, "…I would have to assume that this will not be the end of any sort of strategy…"

Yuna thinned his lips as the reporter's last few words sank in. He tightened his hands around his hips. _How could they do this?_ he asked himself. _How could they do this _again

Beside him, Unato looked at his son's expression and raised an eyebrow. "Are you alright, Yuna?"

Yuna blinked. "I'm fine," he said quickly. "…I'm just…a little unnerved…that's all."

Unato leaned back in his chair and tilted at his glasses. "You'll learn to put emotions like that in their proper place eventually. Events like this cannot be allowed to weigh you down."

"Yes, father," Yuna said quietly.

Unato did not open his eyes just yet. "I'm going to meet with the Atlantic Federation's envoy in two hours. We'll finalize the treaty then." Although he couldn't see it, he had the inkling that Yuna had glanced at him. "Now is the perfect time for us to cast our lot with the Alliance. The quicker we do it, the better."

"Why?"

"You've seen what will happen if we delay our actions any longer." Yuna gulped.

"But we've already indicated that we are going to join the Alliance. We've agreed to sign the treaty. Why must we rush into this then? It could turn many of our people against us in this great time of crisis!"

Unato finally opened his eyes. He glanced at Yuna out of the corner of his sockets for a split second. Yuna had spread his arms out to his sides with his palms out. His mouth was slightly aghast and his eyes were wide. Yuna was pleading with him. Unato reached forward and retrieved a file from the top of his desk. "This should be enough of an answer for you." Yuna took the file and opened the light brown cover. The minute he laid his eyes on the first page, he felt his insides sink. "No that's not a mistake," Unato said, answering Yuna's first question before he even had a chance to ask it. "Those images were taken earlier this morning. The Alliance moved their entire 12th Naval Fleet from Australia to just outside our territorial boundaries during the night. They're just waiting outside the fog now."

Yuna glanced behind him. This morning had broken under a dense cloud of fog that had seemed to envelop the entire island of Orb. Visibility was incredibly poor; Yuna couldn't even see past the greens in front of the Minister's Offices. "But what are they doing here? And why wasn't I told?"

"I myself just found out about these developments moments ago, Yuna," Unato told him. "Evidently the Alliance has known about the new ZAFT warship's presence in our nation ever since it arrived. Once they found out that it was going to depart, they chose that moment to make their move."

Yuna slowly glanced at his father. "You didn't tell the Earth Alliance about the ship's departure did you?"

Unato paused. "It was necessary in order to prove that our position was a viable one."

"So you're planning to present the _Minerva_ as a gift to the Alliance?"

"Yes. In order to clarify our government's position on the entire matter that has now engulfed the entire world."

"But _why_ Father?" Yuna shouted louder than he meant to. He lowered his voice. "We've already agreed to the Alliance." Yuna began to stalk around the room. "All these concessions that we've had to make…all just to clarify our intention to join the Alliance in the first place? It all seems so unnecessary. It only seems like we're trying to prove to the Alliance that we're something we're not. We're playing with people's lives that are not our responsibility now…something we once swore we would never do again!"

Unato let Yuna finish. He then rose slowly from his chair, his large form jutting out slightly over his desk. "Yuna…what have I always tried to teach you about diplomacy and politics?" Yuna stepped back. "You must _never_ allow your feelings to get the better of you, no matter how strong they may be. By allowing that to happen, you allow your judgment to become clouded; that is when you start making mistakes. Those mistakes will cause the suffering and death of many people. Now…I understand how you feel about the course we've become destined to take. We've been forced to sacrifice much…but for the bigger picture it will become obvious very soon that those were the correct decisions. For the betterment of our nation…we will have to make very difficult decisions, some of which will go against everything we've been taught to believe and trust. That is the nature of the world we now live in."

Yuna sighed. "But, Father…"

Unato came around his desk and put his hands on his son's tall shoulders. "You'll understand all of this when you're older. You mustn't forget that you too have much to learn. I'm trusting that you will do that right thing…Son."

Yuna felt his eyes soften. Unato hardly ever called him Son anymore. If he did it now… "What do you want me to do?" he asked in a whisper.

Unato smiled. "Do what you believe and know to be right."

Unato took his leave moments later, leaving Yuna alone by himself. Yuna stood in his Father's office for several more moments before he too allowed himself to leave. _Do the right thing._ _What is the right thing to do?_ Yuna asked himself that very question many times as he walked on. The only thing that stopped him from asking himself that was his phone's ring tone. He put the device to his right ear and said, "Yuna."

"Representative? This is Orb Naval Fleet command at the military headquarters. We need your presence down here as quickly as you can, sir."

Yuna frowned. "I'll be there momentarily." _What does military HQ want me for…and now of all times?_ Yuna allowed himself to increase his pace to a steady jog as he headed for the elevators.

_**-Minerva, Dry Dock, 1100.**_

"Now opening flood gates."

Six individual gates, three on each side of the dock, opened slowly and began to push gallons upon gallons of blue sea water into the empty dry dock beneath the _Minerva's_ hull. The ship was still currently being supported by steel girders all around her so she was literally sitting in mid-air until the water could rise up to an acceptable level which would allow the ship to float out of the dock on its own.

"We'll be leaving at the appointed time. All units, hurry with your final checks," Meyrin told the entire crew through the ship's intercom system.

Talia and the rest of the bridge crew sat nearly motionless at their respective stations while they waited for their chance to move. The more they stayed here, the more uneasy Talia, Arthur, and everyone else seemed to become; it was mostly due to the fact that they now were in what would be considered a hostile nation, even though they had been brought here as heroes. "Maintain Condition Yellow as we depart. Make sure all the restraints have been removed before we leave, Felix."

"Yes, ma'am!" Felix's voice said through the intercom system between both levels of the bridge, which were separated at this time.

"Have you detected anything suspicious?" the Captain asked Bart.

"Negative. Our sensors aren't picking up anything in this fog." Talia frowned. She could barely see the front of the ship through the gray mist that looked as thick as cough syrup.

"Keep your eyes open," Talia warned. "Also, have all pilots report to their machines and wait on stand by as a precaution."

"Captain?" Arthur asked.

Talia glanced somberly at her subordinate and friend. "Whether we like it or not, we have to ace the fact that we're not in a friendly nation any longer. We must be prepared for anything…" Talia didn't finish the sentence; Arthur did not respond. They both knew the situation they were in now.

The _Minerva_ shuddered slightly as the water levels finally reached the ship's underbelly. Bart noticed something on his console and sat up slightly. "Captain! I have an incoming message from the Orb Fleet offices." Talia glanced over her shoulder. "It's…it's from the General."

Talia opened her mouth slightly, but quickly sealed her red lips. "Is it marked urgent?"

"No. It's addressed to you personally, Captain."

Talia readjusted herself so that she was facing forward again. She cupped her chin between her fingers. After a short thought, she ordered Bart to send her the message. Talia pulled up the small console screen on the arm rest of her chair and waited until the General's face appeared. He looked tired, the bags under his eyes and wrinkles streaking from the corners of his corneas clear evidence of that. However, he still maintained the honorable image of an experienced military man, with his white uniform sparkling, his hands folded on the desk in front of him, and his blond hair combed neatly.

"This will probably be the last time I will have the opportunity to address you and your crew, Captain Gladys," he began. It was clear to Talia that this was a taped message, but she didn't blame him. It would be very difficult for him to speak with them directly. "Before you and your crew depart Orb, I wanted to make sure that you know how blessed and thankful I am to have fought beside you. In my opinion, you are the saviors of the Earth thanks to your selfless sacrifices during the Junius Seven drop. I am also very grateful that I had the chance to meet you and some of your crew personally. I'm very happy to know that there are people like you serving the PLANTs. My only regret is that I was not able to do anything more than I could to help you during your stay. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I failed to give you the protection and services that I promised when I first brought you here. For that, I am deeply sorry. I must cut this message short, however. Once again, I am grateful to have met you all and had the chance to fight beside you and I am truly sorry for how things ended up. I wish you nothing but the best on your journey." He ended the message with a salute, and then he was gone.

Talia slowly pushed the screen back into its slot and closed her blue eyes for a moment. _He didn't want to do this,_ she told herself. She could tell by the way he spoke and chose his words that he was saying something that deep down he knew he never wanted to say. _He had no choice…_ She harkened back to the conversation she had had with his wife the day they had arrived in Orb. That woman had been Talia's equal in almost every facet of their personalities. _No wonder he sacrificed everything for them. How could he not?_

"They're removing the girders now, Captain," Arthur reported from Talia's left. Outside, the massive gunmetal gray supports began to retreat back over the top of the ship, allowing the _Minerva_ to settle into the water filled dock below her. The crew could feel the ship drift slightly once it touched the surface, but the effect was minimal at best.

Talia nodded to herself. "Prepare to depart."

In the hangar, all four of the _Minerva's_ pilots were making their way toward their individual mobile suits. Shinn walked beside Vino toward the Core Splendor which was situated on the lowered lift below the port catapult. Lunamaria, Rey, and Brad each headed toward their ZAKUs which were arrayed in a triangular formation in the center of the hangar.

"Why are they ordering us to our mobile suits already?" Lunamaria wondered out loud. She held her helmet close to her chest with both arms around it as she walked. "We haven't even left port yet."

"It's probably just precautionary," Rey informed her. He was dressed in his white and violet pilot suit which contrasted sharply with the blood red and white pilot suits that Shinn, Lunamaria, and Brad wore.

"Yeah, but do you really think we'll have to fight our way out of Orb? For some reason, although I still can't figure out why they would do such as thing as join the Alliance, I can't see them trying to stop us when we leave."

Brad, who had been listening to their conversation while preparing to board his violet, white, and black Slash ZAKU, spoke in his velvety voice. "We won't know until we get out of here." Both Lunamaria and Rey glanced in his direction as they headed towards their respective machines. "But you should be prepared for anything. We're at war now. Anything is possible, no matter how farfetched it may seem on the surface."

Through the radio, Shinn added gruffly, "You heard the reports about the Alliance attack on Egypt last night, right?" Lunamaria slipped her helmet over her short pink hair and glanced in the other direction at the Core Splendor. Shinn was just now climbing into the cockpit. "If they're gutless enough to do something like that, then there's no doubt in my mind that they'll at least _try_ to stop us." Lunamaria sighed uneasily. She gingerly climbed into her cockpit and settled inside as her cockpit hatch was closed in front of her.

"FCS online! Power buses online! Opening gate!" Roland's voice boomed.

Although she couldn't see it, Talia sensed the dry dock's forward gate being lowered into the sea ahead of the _Minerva._ When it disappeared, there was nothing in front of the ship's bow except the vast, blue ocean. "All personnel remain at Condition Yellow! All deck crews are to report to their proper positions and await orders," Meyrin said.

"Activate engines!" The ship began to shiver as the massive engines turned on under the surface of the water. Talia shouted, "Proceed ahead slowly! The _Minerva_ is now leaving port!"

The lovely ship slowly began to ease its way out of the dry dock and into the ever present morning fog. Although none of the crew could see them from their positions inside the ship, the technicians who had serviced the ship were lining the edge of the dock below. Among them were Murrue and Murdoch, both of them offering a professional salute as the ship passed them. It had not been long ago that they had been in the same situation as them. They knew what it was like to have to leave the safety of a nation knowing that there were forces out there looking to destroy them. They continued their tribute to the _Minerva_ until the ship's stern became invisible in the fog.

From the bridge, neither Talia nor any of the other members of the bridge crew could see through the thick fog that was now situated all around them. At his post at the helm, Felix could barely see to the bow of the ship. "Is there any way we can tell where we're going, Ensign Roske?" Talia asked.

"Not until we get out of this soup, Captain. I'm relying on what I thought was in front of us when I looked at the dock. And whatever the Orb people gave to us to help with navigation which didn't amount to much at all."

"Any luck with laser or thermal detectors, Bart?"

"No, ma'am. As long as we're in this fog they won't function properly."

"In other words we won't be able to tell the difference between a mobile suit and a sea gull," Talia mumbled to herself. She clamped her chin with her hand and sighed. "And if my instincts have taught me anything…" Talia could feel her back begin to shiver as she thought about what could be waiting for them. "Is there any other way we could get at least a partial bearing on our position, Arthur?"

Arthur paused. "Well, we could try to use one of the defense satellites infrared sensors to give a picture of what's around us," he suggested. "It won't be able to give us a perfect vantage point, but it may help."

"Aren't the defense satellites being used for the drop operations, though?" Talia inquired.

"It won't be like we'll be using the entire systems of the satellite," Roland chimed in. "If we just get the infrareds and nothing else, it should be fine."

"Plus, we're in a difficult situation as is, Captain," Arthur said to her. "I'm sure they'd be more than willing to make an exception for us."

Talia nodded. "Do it."

"Yes, ma'am!" It took a few moments for Arthur to get through the traffic that had taken up most of the space on the ZAFT radio frequencies due to the upcoming operations, but he finally managed to access the satellite control systems through the National Defense's computer lines. ZAFT had employed dozens of these satellites around Earth's orbit in order to assist their ground troops during the previous war and while some had been disassembled and subsequently scrapped, there were still a good twenty-five still operational. These were the ones Arthur was trying to access. "One of our satellites just left this airspace…" he began slowly. Talia folded her hands in her lap. "We have another…coming into range…now! That's it, I'm getting a reading."

"Put it up on screen," Talia ordered.

Arthur accessed the infrared signals and rerouted them to the bridge's main view screen. "There we go…oh…oh God," he said roughly when the infrareds came through completely.

Talia frowned and squeezed her folded hands together. The image was a black screen with red lines outlining different landmarks and hazards in the immediate area. The _Minerva_ had managed to clear through the harbor behind the dock and was now nearing open waters. But it was the outlines that were situated directly in the _Minerva's_ path that made Talia's stomach turn. They were ships; and judging by their formations they weren't friendly.

"How many, Bart?" Talia inquired.

"Checking now…there's at least thirty of them," he reported. "Library has matches for six carriers, cruisers, and other smaller ships...all registered to the Earth Forces."

"Six carriers?" Arthur gasped.

"Felix, can you get any bearings whatsoever?"

"No. The fog's still too thick," Felix answered back. "I'm not getting any visuals other than what the infrared is showing me."

"Weapons systems are operational, but I can't get any accurate readings without laser or thermal readings, Captain," Ian added.

Talia clenched her teeth. "It also looks like we have ships following us, Captain!" Arthur's voice sounded. Talia glanced back up at the monitor and was greeted with the sight of several more ships following directly in the _Minerva's_ wake.

"How much you wanna bet those are Orb ships meant to keep us out of there waters?" Roland wondered out loud.

"We haven't even crossed the boundary line into international waters yet," Arthur said.

"They'll wait until we cross the border, then they'll form a picket line to keep us out. That way it'll appear that they're simply defending their territory from an enemy ship." Roland's voice carried a slight trace of frustration as he spoke.

"If that's the case, then it appears as though we're no longer welcome in Orb," Talia said quietly. "How long until we reach the edge of this fog, Felix?" she asked.

"From what I can tell, the bank stretches out just past the border," he reported. "Those ships are probably waiting for us to emerge before they open fire on us."

"How long, Felix?"

"Ten minutes, if we maintain our current course and speed!"

"Hold her steady. Ensign Dullindal, take all weapons off of stand-by and have them ready to fire the minute we leave the fog!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Talia turned her chair slightly so she could have her eyes trained on Meyrin. "Upgrade to Condition Red. Have the mobile suits be ready for takeoff at a moment's notice."

"Yes, Captain!"

"With the Orb Fleet behind us, it looks as if our only option is to continue forward and break through the line of Earth Forces ships ahead of us," Talia deduced. "Any objections, Roland?"

"Sounds like a plan. It'll probably get a little messy, but we don't really have much choice."

"Arthur?"

"None, Captain!"

"Very well. All _Minerva_ personnel are to go Condition Red status and be ready for anti-ship and anti-mobile suit combat. Lower the bridge!"

_**-Orb Union Military HQ, Onogoro Island, 1115.**_

"The Earth Forces vessels are maintaining the picket formation approximately one hundred meters from our western border." The soldier reading the information off of his computer console was calm and spoke in a completely serene tone of voice. "It is unknown the exact position of the _Minerva_ at this time, but sensors indicate that they are likely still in the fog bank. Our ships have taken up position approximately seventy-five meters behind the _Minerva_ and are awaiting further orders. Mobile suits on the ships and the mainland bases are currently at stand-by and awaiting orders to launch."

"Is everything in order then, Commander?" Yuna asked the soldier standing on the floor below his current position on the observation platform at the rear of the command center.

"Yes, sir. Exactly as your orders indicate."

"Good." Yuna took a step back from the railing so that he was standing directly next to the man beside him. "Hopefully we can get this over with quickly then."

Mwu didn't say a word. His unhindered gaze was completely focused on the large view screen in front of him. The fog bank that was masking the _Minerva_ from the cameras located on offshore buoys near the border was still thick enough that the ship couldn't be seen. However, they had a full view of the large Earth Forces fleet that was lying in wait just past the border, waiting for the ship to emerge and meet its fate. Mwu could vividly remember that it wasn't long ago that he was fighting on the same side as those ships and it had been those same ships that had betrayed him and hurt him, his friends, and his family years before. Now once again he was forced to work beside them to destroy a ship that merely a week or so earlier he had been assisting in an attempt to avert a catastrophic disaster at Junius Seven. How the world had indeed changed.

"Sensors are indicating the presence of a ship nearing the edge of the fog," said one of the soldiers below them.

"Orders, sir?" asked the Commander.

Mwu glanced at Yuna to his left, who in turn glanced at Mwu. "You're in charge here, this is your operation, not mine," Mwu said roughly.

Yuna thinned his lips. "Continue as planned," he responded. "Have our mobile suits remain on stand-by."

"Yes, sir!"

The next thing Yuna felt was his cell-phone buzz in his pocket. He had silenced the ring tone so as not to be a nuisance. He brought it to his ear. "Yuna, here."

"Sir, I have a call for you from Representative Athha," his secretary said.

"Cagalli…?" Yuna stammered. "Uh…I'm a little busy at this point. Could you tell her I'll call her back later?"

"Yes, sir. But by the tone of her voice, she sounded like it was quite urgent."

"I'll get back to her," Yuna reassured her.

"Yes, Representative."

"I hope by now you realize that I'm not happy at all about having to sacrifice that ship," Mwu scowled.

Yuna frowned as he pocketed his phone. "Neither am I. But given our situation, we had no choice," he added.

"What kind of situation asks the people that took that very ship in after it may have very well saved their lives to then send them out to be destroyed?" Mwu asked. "What on Earth would call for such an act to be done?"

Yuna sighed. "A situation that threatens the very livelihood of every man, woman, and child in this nation, General." Yuna closed his eyes. "Even you would understand the ramifications if we did not do this."

"And making ourselves look like complete bastards helps accomplish this, how?" Mwu asked severely.

Yuna opened his eyes and turned his head slightly. "Sometimes drastic measures must be taken to protect the innocent," he snarled. "You know that yourself. You almost got yourself killed many times protecting people you don't know. This is how we have to do that very same thing now."

"Excuse me, sir," the Commander called from below them. "Is…something wrong?"

"No," Mwu responded quickly. "Continue your work." Once his subordinate had turned away, Mwu stepped close to the younger man beside him and whispered, "Just how far do you plan to take this nation and its people into this?"

"Sensors indicate the ship is now beginning to exit the fog bank!"

Yuna narrowed his eyes. "As far as it takes to keep them alive."

_**-Minerva, 1115.**_

"How much longer, Felix?" Talia demanded.

"Three minutes!"

"Can you give the mobile suits a briefing, Roland?"

"I'll give it to them over the radio, if you want, Captain."

"Do it. But let me speak for a few moments beforehand."

"As you wish."

The upper half of the bridge had finished its descent to meet up with the lower half and now all seven members of the bridge crew were in one facility, with Felix, Ian, and Roland at the front, Talia and Arthur in the middle, and Meyrin and Bart at the rear. "Open a channel for me, Meyrin," Talia ordered.

As darkness settled over the bridge, Meyrin called out, "Done!" Talia cleared her throat and began to speak to the entire ship.

"This is Captain Talia Gladys of the ZAFT warship _Minerva_ speaking to all crew members. Directly in front of our ship is an Earth Forces fleet based around six carriers and numerous other vessels."

"What?" Lunamaria gasped as she was in the process of clambering into her ZAKU's cockpit. Rey and Brad, who were on their way up to their own respective cockpits, said nothing.

Shinn had sprinted over to the Core Splendor which was sitting on its lift and vaulted himself into the cockpit. He could hear Talia's voice through his helmet radio. "The purpose of these ships can be none other than to block our ship's path and prevent us from carrying out our designated objectives. Behind us is another group of ships belonging to the Orb Union. Their purpose is to keep us from re-entering their territorial waters once we have passed the border."

"What are they doing that for?" Shinn heard Lunamaria yell through the radio.

"Quit shouting, Lunamaria," Brad scolded her. "Just get ready."

Vino leaned over the side of the Core Splendor's cockpit and helped Shinn buckle his restraints. "Geez, one minute they treat you like friends, the next they're trying to shoot you in the back," he commented. "What kind of nation is this?"

Shinn began to activate his diagnostics. "A nation with no morals or self-righteousness," he responded.

"This undoubtedly will be our toughest battle yet, as he have little choice but to proceed forward and continue on our present course. The upcoming battle will be fought hard, but I have every confidence that you will be able to achieve the best possible results. You are the pride and soul of the PLANTs, the embodiment of everything we stand for. Let us go forth and live to a better tomorrow!"

All throughout the ship, there came cries of jubilation and readiness from the crew. They could be slightly heard even on the bridge. Roland smirked. "Looks like you touched a nerve, Talia," he remarked. "They're all riled up now." Talia blushed slightly, but hid it well behind her mask of professionalism.

"Two minutes, Captain," Felix repeated.

Vino finished with the Core Splendor's pre-flight checks and stepped off of the wing so Shinn could seal the cockpit. He heard Roland's deep, commanding voice through his radio just as the lift began to ascend towards the catapult. "Due to the gravity of the situation, I will be issuing an emergency in-flight briefing. All pilots change your radio and image frequencies to channel nine."

Shinn turned a dial on his diagnostics board and slowly an image began to take shape on his cockpit monitor. It was based around the infrared readings coming from the satellite, so they weren't very thorough, but each of the pilots was still able to make out what they needed to see. The _Minerva_ was coated a sparkling ocean blue, while the enemy ships in front of and behind them were coated blood red. "The situation is critical. Ships from both the Earth Alliance Forces and the Orb Union have taken up positions forward and behind the _Minerva_. Although sensors are still weakened by the fog bank, we have indications that there are also mobile suits on board these ships. What models however, we do not know. Our only chance to reach the Carpentaria base is to continue forward on our present course and break through the Earth Forces line of ships and reach the relative safety of open waters. To do this, we will need individuals to bear the brunt of the assault in order to keep the _Minerva_ afloat." The image zoomed in on the battlefield that would soon be occupied by both the _Minerva_ and the Earth Forces fleet. "Since the ZAKU cannot operate to its fullest potential in the atmosphere, the Impulse will have to bear most of the assault. Once the Impulse has been formed, you will need to occupy the attention of the enemy mobile suit squadrons and do your best to not only destroy them, but keep them a safe distance away from the _Minerva_. The ZAKUs will remain on deck and fire at the enemies from their positions on the hull. Because of the fog, our laser and thermal detectors are being neutralized, so you'll have to be very careful with your shots. Rely on the infrared images until we clear the fog. If we can successfully repel the enemy mobile suits and reach the acceptable range, the primary focus of the mission will change to opening up a path for the _Minerva_ to travel through. Once that is done, the ship will proceed onward to Carpentaria. All mobile suits are to launch at the indicated times. Good luck out there."

Roland's voice cut off at the exact same time as the Core Splendor reached the top of the lift at the back of the catapult. "What are your orders, Commander?" Rey asked Brad, who's ZAKU was position behind Rey and Lunamaria's mobile suits.

Shutting his helmet visor, Brad responded, "Rey, you and Lunamaria stay at the front of the ship. I'll go to the rear. Kid, you set to go?"

"Yes. But I can't form the Impulse in the fog. The laser system won't work properly."

"Go straight out of the fog, then. We'll launch the Flyers directly in your wake. Once you get clear, we'll give you firing cover from the deck."

"Roger!"

_**-Ticonderoga, Flagship of the Earth Forces 12th**__** Naval Fleet, 1120.**_

The flagship carrier of the Earth Forces assault fleet was position near the rear of the formation of ships, which were position in a modified V-shape in order to block all areas of escape once the _Minerva_ exited the fog. Once the Orb forces came into play, the ship would be completely surrounded and they could attack from all sides.

On the bridge, Rear Admiral Vernon Ishida stared at the fog bank through a set of binoculars with the _Ticonderoga's _Captain and First Officer on either side of him. After several moments he could begin to make out the blurry shape of a ship's bow beginning to protrude from the fog bank. He nodded his head as he took the binoculars away from his eyes. He then turned to the Captain. "Begin launch of mobile suits."

"Yes, sir!"

Side-pods on the carriers swung down toward the water's edge in order to give the Jet Windam squadrons a clear path to launch into the clear blue sky. Twelve squadrons of twelve Windams, two from each carrier, began to disembark from their carriers and head in the direction of the fog bank. In command of the mobile suits was Colonel Calvin Doherty. His Jet Windam was in the second group to launch from the _Ticonderoga_, with the first wave of Windams racing ahead of his group. He established contact with Admiral Ishida through his radio. "Your orders are to destroy or capture the ship at all cost, Colonel. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." Doherty, a veteran of the first war, signaled to the rest of his unit, and then his sub-commanders and their individual squadrons. As he and his group continued forward, he saw something streak out of the fog bank at a high angle. "_Chickadee_ to _Mother Goose_. Something just came out of the fog above the ship. Should we investigate…wait, now there's more of them."

"You have your orders, Colonel. Do what you wish with the units under your command," was the response.

"Roger! Ensign Brim, take two more units with you and go see what that is."

"Yes, sir!" Three Windams from Doherty's squadron broke from the formation and went in search of the object he had just seen. Meanwhile, ahead of him, the _Minerva _had finally broken through the fog bank.

"Lunamaria Hawke! ZAKU taking off!"

"Use the ship's external communication lines to give yourself a better reading, Lunamaria," Brad advised her as she leaped off of the forward catapult and floated in mid-air for a moment before settling on the deck above the port-side catapult. Her ZAKU reached for one of the cables that allowed the mobile suits on deck access to the readings the ship itself was receiving from its sensors. Rey followed her off of the catapult and jumped into the air, somersaulting side over side until he landed directly across from her above the starboard catapult.

"Showoff," Lunamaria chided him.

"Keep the small talk down, you two," Brad ordered as he too leaped off of the catapult and headed to the rear deck of the _Minerva_. "We got trouble coming."

Lunamaria finished attaching the cable to the underside of her long-range rifle and the _Minerva's_ sensor readings were soon displayed on her diagnostic board. Lunamaria stretched her mouth far to the sides. "Geez, no kidding," she remarked, upon seeing how many enemy forces were now coming towards them.

Shinn continued on his straight line course in order to put enough distance between himself and the enemy mobile suits so that he could form the Impulse. His hands gripped the control stick tightly and he craned his neck back to make sure the Force Silhouette, Chest Flyer, and Leg Flyer were all still following him. One by one, each of the support pieces emerged from the fog, almost at the same moment that the bow of the _Minerva_ plunged completely through the smog. Shinn's radar chimed and he noticed the three Windams approaching on an intercept course. _Damn it_, he swore, _I don't have time for this!_ He banked the Core Splendor to starboard in an attempt to swerve away from the approaching mobile suits, but they stuck to his tail like glue. "Lunamaria, do you have them?" Shinn shouted into the radio.

As if to answer, a bright burst of red energy converged on the Windams, causing them to take evasive action in order to keep themselves alive. "Shinn, get the Impulse together!" she cried. "We'll cover you!"

"Thanks!" With the Windams attention diverted, Shinn leveled off and activated the Core Splendor's laser guidance, bringing the Leg Flyer and the Chest Flyer up to his current altitude. He pressed the conversion trigger and the Core Splendor collapsed into itself before connecting with the Leg Flyer. The Chest Flyer assumed its position above the Core Splendor and the Impulse's head emerged from the formers top. Finally, the Force Silhouette clamped itself onto the Impulse's back and Shinn activated the mobile suit's phase shift armor, transforming the Impulse from dull gray to bright blue, white, and red.

"Aaaahhh!" Shinn yelled, finally able to engage the Windams that had been dogging him. "Eat this!" Shinn grabbed hold of his MA-BAR72 beam rifle and fired multiple shots at the Windams. The first two were able to dodge, but the third got caught with a shot to the torso and went spiraling down toward the ocean in flames. _One. _Shinn tracked the Windam that had gone to his right and fired his beam rifle at it. The smaller mobile suit was able to dodge and returned fire with its own rifle, but Shinn dodged easily by diving down toward the ocean and skimming its surface with the Impulse's belly facing the sky. Shinn used his CIWS machine guns to disorient the Windam before placing a well-aimed shot directly into the mobile suit's cockpit, sending it to its demise. _Two_. Shinn searched for the third Windam, but he could not see it. It wasn't until a beam rifle shot came perilously close to the Impulse's head that Shinn saw him, following directly behind him and slightly above. _Must be the leader_, Shinn thought to himself. He flipped the Impulse over and raced across the surface on his belly, the Windam following his every maneuver. Shinn kept the Impulse's speed up in order to keep the Windam occupied and then suddenly reversed thrust and bolted upward. The Impulse turned directly at the Windam, which had a perfect shot at the Impulse's cockpit. However, Shinn had deposited the Impulse's beam rifle and instead used its shield in order to deflect the Windam's attack. With its rifle neutralized, Shinn stuck one of his beam sabers through its cockpit and it erupted in a ball of fire. Shinn raced back towards the _Minerva_, which was now fully engaged in battle with dozens of Windams.

Lunamaria, Rey, and Brad had each opened fire upon the attacking Windams, which were largely using their individual beam rifles against the ship. A few however were equipped with long-range missile pods on their shoulders. "Luna! Take out those missile pods!" Rey ordered.

"Got it!" Lunamaria filtered out the other Windams and focused her targeting systems solely on the ones carrying heavy-armaments. She unleashed shot after shot from her rifle, but only about three of the shots struck home and were able to down one of the Windams. It wasn't enough to keep the remaining ones from getting within range to fire their missiles. _Damn it!_ Lunamaria swore to herself as she frantically tried to target the remaining Windams. Just as they were about to unleash their missiles, the Impulse swept in and decapitated two of the Windams, jarring the mobile suits into a motionless state which allowed Rey and Brad to pick them off with quick, precise shots. Shinn used his beam saber to destroy two more of the Windams, but the escorts were now beginning to attack him. Shinn dove back down towards the ocean and started toward the enemy fleet, leading a pack of Windams behind him.

The remaining Windams were therefore able to launch their missiles at the _Minerva_. Lunamaria shifted her attention to the missiles themselves and was able to blast apart several of them and then from over her shoulder, the _Minerva's_ Tristan cannons took out the remaining missiles, bright spots of orange highlighting the spots where they had just been. "Thanks, Ian!" Lunamaria called out to the bridge.

"Luna!" Rey's warning came just in the nick of time for her to see the incoming Windam, its beam rifle aimed directly at her cockpit. Lunamaria was able levitate her ZAKU and dodge the shot and when the Windam overshot its target, it was easy prey for Rey's ZAKU.

The white ZAKU looked in the direction of her pink one as it landed back on the deck. "You've got to pay better attention to your surroundings, Luna!" Rey chided her.

Lunamaria scowled. "What are you, my mother?" she responded as she began to return fire once again.

"Cut it out you two!" Brad warned from his position behind them. "Three units coming from two o'clock!" The three ZAKUs opened fire once again.

The ship of the Earth Forces fleet had now opened fire on the _Minerva_ as well, sending powerful bursts of destructive energy towards the sole enemy target. The ship was forced to take several quick, evasive turns in order to dodge the attacks, but several still managed to get through and jar the hull.

Deep inside the ship, the infirmary staff was doing its best to not only keep its supplies and equipment in one piece due to the ship's constant swerving, but also to keep patients stationary. One of the crew, who was confined to bed with a broken leg, suddenly found himself moving toward the opposite end of the infirmary as the ship banked onto its port side. The only thing he could do to stop himself was cry out. From across the room, Victoria bolted toward the immobile man's bed and jerked on the wheel brakes, stopping him just a few inches from the wall in front of him. After stopping him, she emerged from underneath and smiled at him. "You okay?" He nodded slowly in response.

The ship rattled as it endured another hit from the enemy fleet. The infirmary shook and several capsules of medication fell from their cabinets and shattered on the floor. "Secure those doors!" Victoria shouted to the other medics. While her comrades worked to keep the equipment in order, Victoria went from patient to patient, making sure they were comfortable and that their beds were secure so that there would not be another runaway. The ship banked hard to the right this time and Victoria had to support herself against a shelf in order to keep herself upright. She scowled. _Damn it, Felix. Take it easy!_

"Incoming missiles from mark 9 red delta!" Bart shouted.

"15 to port! Dodge them!" Talia ordered. The ship banked to the left again and by this point, Talia could see the enemy fleet in its entirety directly in front of them.

"Four Windams coming in from starboard!" Roland warned.

"Dispar missiles, take aim! Fire!" Arthur shouted.

The ship shook again. "What's the status of the Orb ships, Bart?" Talia demanded.

"They're still behind us. They've come out of the fog, but they aren't advancing past their border!" Bart said.

"They'll just stay there behind us then," Roland deduced. "They won't move to attack unless we get close to the border."

"Felix! Keep us going forward if you can at all costs!"

"I'll try, but I can't guarantee it. We'll be right in front of their ships real soon otherwise," he warned.

"Have the ZAKU units continue targeting the Windams! How many are left?"

"I count at least forty heading to attack, ma'am. There's plenty more waiting with the fleet, though."

"Where's the Impulse, Meyrin?"

"It's out among the ships, ma'am."

"What?" Talia glanced at her monitor and saw that Shinn was zipping in and around the ships in front of them with several Windams right on his tail. _I see. He's trying to keep them distracted and away from us._ "Tell him not to do anything hasty! Ian, start targeting the enemy ships with the main cannons!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Incoming missiles!"

"Evade!"

Up ahead, Shinn raced around an Alliance ship with about four Windams behind him. He used the ship for cover and fired his rifle at his pursuers, destroying one of them and managing to cripple another. The other units opened fire on him, but because of his position, most of their shots hit their own ship instead, starting fires and ripping holes in the hull. Shinn emerged from his hiding spot and used his machine guns and rifle to take out the remaining two units. He raced away from the smoldering ship and glanced around. He now had about six Windams coming at him from two directions. He ground his teeth together in frustration. _I can't keep this up! It's getting us nowhere!_ He glanced in the _Minerva's_ direction and saw that there were small puffs of smoke now sprouting from the hull, indicating places where it had been hit. Shinn evaded several attacks from the Windams and brought his beam saber out to slice apart one of the mobile suits. _We need to get past these guys! We can't be destroyed here!_

_**-Ticonderoga, 1135.**_

As another of his escort ships began to spout flames courtesy of the _Minerva's_ main cannons boring into its side, Ishida turned his attention back to the ship that was now much closer to the fleet than it had been just a few moments before. "It appears as though Roanoke's information was accurate," he assessed. "That ship is indeed well-armed and well-staffed."

"Reports indicate that we've managed to damage the ship in several places, Admiral," one of the bridge crew reported.

"Yes, but not enough to deter her, Ensign," Ishida replied. He folded his arms and assessed the situation. He turned to the Captain. "Is the Zamza-Zah ready for launch, Captain?"

The Captain's eyes widened. "Sir?"

"Is it, or is it not?"

"Uh…yes, it's ready…but…it's still only a prototype. It hasn't been tested yet."

"Then this will be its official test run," Ishida said. He turned back to the bridge window and looked out at the ZAFT ship. "In my opinion, it is mobile armors such as the Zamza-Zah that will be the difference in this war, Captain. Given the circumstances, we cannot afford to miss the chance to test it to its full potential while that ship is still in fighting condition."

Deep inside the bowels of one of the transport ships near the _Ticonderoga_, three hand-picked soldiers, a pilot and two gunners, clambered into the cockpit of the massive green mobile armor. It was almost crab-shaped, with two pink eyes protruding from the very top of its skull where the cockpit was. It had four limbs each placed an equal distance away from one another in each corner of the mobile armor and it had several gun turrets placed on its limbs and sides. The pilot, a Lieutenant Chase, strapped himself into the cockpit and waited until his support gunners, who operated the turrets and leg joints respectively while he piloted the Zamza-Zah, signaled that they were ready to go.

"All Zamza-Zah systems are online and operational," he reported to the transport ship's crew.

"Roger, Zamza-Zah. You have clearance from the Admiral to sortie at any time. Your target is the ZAFT warship, and if possible, the mobile suits that are guarding it."

Chase smirked. "The mobile suits won't be a problem at all. Not for the Zamza-Zah that is. That ship will be a nice trophy for me, though."

Above the Earth Forces flee, Shinn continued to battle against the seemingly endless barrage of Windams that were coming for him. Once he managed to successfully take down one of the smaller mobile suits, another two would take its place. Shinn swore as he swung his beam saber at one of the Windams and sliced it right down the middle. As soon as the smoke and fire cleared from the subsequent explosion, Shinn was faced with another Windam in the exact same spot. "Damn it! Do these ever die?!" Shinn thundered.

"Take it easy, Kid. Don't lose your temper!" Brad warned him through the radio.

"Shut up! I know what I'm doing!" Shinn retorted. He barrel rolled the Impulse onto its back and fired his CIWS machine guns upward toward a group of attacking Windams, catching one in the leg, shearing the limb completely away. It was able to retreat before Shinn could do any more damage to it, but by that time, Shinn was concerned with the other units around him.

One of the Windams now engaging the Impulse was the one piloted by Colonel Doherty. He and his wingman had been observing the battle from a distance and had joined the fight after about twenty-seven of the Windams had been shot down by the white mobile suit. "Marcelo! Hit him from the left, I'll take the right!"

"Roger!"

Shinn destroyed another Windam with his beam saber and then saw another duo of Windams coming at him from two directions. "Okay, you wanna fight now, too?" Shinn asked them both loudly. He bolted toward the mobile suit to his right and swung his beam saber toward it in a side-swipe. The Windam dodged it and fired back with its rifle, while Shinn followed its course with his machine guns. He swerved out of the way just before the shots from Doherty's Windam would have impacted him in the back.

Shinn retrieved his rifle and started to shoot at the Windams who were encircling him. Doherty kept the pressure on by putting his Windam in a wide arc so that he could fire at the Impulse from many different directions, while his wing mate did the same in just the opposite direction. Finally, Shinn, seeing through their tactic, dove down toward the ocean again to put himself out of range of the enemy units. The first Windam dove after him, but pulled up suddenly as Doherty shouted a warning. Too late.

Shinn had suddenly reversed his thrust and raced straight upwards with his beam saber drawn once again and he cut through the Windam's right leg and part of its chest, but missed the cockpit. Before he could deal the finishing blow however, Doherty managed shoulder tackle the Impulse with his own Windam, despite its diminutive size and then placed a carefully aimed shot into the Impulse's right leg, just above the knee. While the phase shift armor absorbed most of the impact, the shot still forced Shinn to back away from the Windams in order to reorient his systems. This gave Doherty the chance to get his heavily damaged wing mate out of the combat zone.

"Shinn, are you alright?" Meyrin's voice asked concerned through the radio.

"I'm fine!" Shinn responded. He fidgeted with the control stick to make sure the power cables to the right leg hadn't been severed and he managed to get it to respond. "It's just a scratch." As he went to look for more Windams, something down below him caught his eye. Something was coming out of one of the transport ships near the rearmost carrier. As it ascended slowly into the air, Shinn could see just how huge it was. He didn't have time to get a clear picture as to what it was due to the incoming Windams that had caught his attention, but he sent a warning out anyway.

"_Minerva_, can you read me?" he radioed. "Something just launched from one of the Earth Forces' transport ships."

Talia narrowed her eyes when Shinn's broadcast sounded through the bridge's radio receiver. "Bart, can you see anything?"

"Checking now, ma'am! Let's see…there's a heat source detected directly ahead of us at thirty-two orange beta!" Talia glanced back at the front view port and that was when she saw it. The massive green object was on a direct course for them. Her eyes gradually began to widen as the thing got closer. "It's a…mobile suit…no! A mobile armor!"

"A mobile armor? That sized?" Arthur blurted out.

"What is that…?" Lunamaria murmured from inside her cockpit.

"Whatever it is, it isn't good," Brad finished for her. Rey said nothing.

The Windam's attacking the _Minerva_ seemed to be parting the way for the Zamza-Zah as it approached, which was even more startling to Shinn as he raced after the giant mobile armor. "You've got to be kidding me! The Earth Forces actually built something like that?" He tried to fire his rifle at it, but a Windam came across his path and forced Shinn to hold his fire. "Bastard!" Shinn shouted as he fired at the Windam instead. The pilot managed to dodge the shot and when Shinn looked back toward the _Minerva_, more Windams had now come between him and the Zamza-Zah. Shinn clenched his teeth and went head on into the Windam formation.

"Where's the Impulse?" Talia demanded.

"He's caught up with the Windam's ma'am," Meyrin reported. "It doesn't look like he's going to be able to get back here in time."

"Commander Bourdais?"

"We could try, but I don't know what effect our rifles'll have on that thing's armor, Captain," Brad's velvety voice responded gravely.

Talia paused. _If something like that exists within the Earth Forces…then there's no telling what they'll do in the future_, she told herself. "Ian! Prepare to fire the Tannhauser!" Ian didn't say anything, but he cast a wary glance at his Captain. "That may be our only chance of stopping that thing," she reiterated.

"Yes, Captain!" Ian responded.

Lunamaria targeted the giant mobile armor now directly in front of her and fired her rifle. However, the armor on the Zamza-Zah was powerful enough that the shot put barely a dent into it. Lunamaria sank back into her cockpit chair and held her controls tightly. "N-not even a scratch…"

"Lunamaria. Keep it together!" Rey advised her, as he continued to fire at the mobile armor, but like her, he had no luck either.

"Be careful you two!" Brad shouted from behind them. "The _Minerva's_ using the Tannhauser on that thing! Watch out for after effects!"

"The Tannhauser?" Lunamaria gasped. As if to answer her, almost directly below where she was standing, the giant plasma cannon began to emerge from its holding place at the bow of the ship.

"Message Shinn to get out of the Tannhauser's line of fire!" Talia ordered. "I'll leave the timing up to you, Arthur!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Inside the Zamza-Zah's cockpit, Chase zoomed in on the _Minerva_ with his cockpit view screen just as the Tannhauser made its appearance. "Ensign. Do you see that?"

"Yes, sir! Based on the schematics it appears to be the ship's main plasma cannon. The…Tannhauser."

Chase nodded in agreement. "Prepare to deploy positron deflector. Let's see how much this baby can handle."

"Give me the distance readings, Bart," Arthur said.

"Mobile armor approaching…distance 500…400…"

"Positron receptors are active. Deploying shield now!"

"300…250!"

"Tannhauser! Fire!"

With a mighty roar, the _Minerva's_ most powerful weapon unleashed its full fury directly ahead of it at the Zamza-Zah. Lunamaria, Rey, and Brad watched with shunned eyes from the deck of the ship, while Shinn had risen to an altitude well above the blast radius. From where he was, he saw the blast strike the mobile armor dead on. _So much for that monster,_ Shinn thought to himself. Much to his surprise however, the Windams that had been chasing him were now gone.

As the plasma blast hit the Zamza-Zah's positron shield, deployed at the very front of the mobile armor, the subsequent impact and shockwaves were spread all across the immediate area. Ships that were in close vicinity to the impact sight were tossed and thrown about like ships in a bathtub. Several were so overcome by the after effects of the attack that they keeled over and settled belly up, their keels now facing skyward.

Talia and the rest of the bridge crew could not see a thing because of the blinding light the impact had caused. "Bart? Can you see anything?" she asked a few seconds later, her eyes still overcome with the after effects of the flash.

"Nothing, ma'am! The blast blinded our sensors momentarily. But all signs point to a direct hit."

Talia opened her lips slightly, but kept her teeth clench together. She kept her blue eyes trained directly ahead of her, where the monstrous mobile armor had once been. It was only as the light began to clear that her teeth parted and her eyes widened. The Zamza-Zah was still there.

"How can…?" Talia breathed, unable to say anything at the sight before her.

"How is it still flying?" Arthur gasped.

"It completely deflected a damn Tannhauser shot!" Roland echoed, his deep voice booming throughout the bridge. "A direct hit too!"

Inside her cockpit, Lunamaria's face and body held much the same expression as everyone else. "How…?" she whispered.

"It's still coming!" Rey's voice shocked Lunamaria out of her daze, especially by its frustrated tone. She could tell that Rey couldn't believe the Tannhauser's attack had been neutralized either. "_Minerva_, get out of the way!"

"Felix! Evade to port!" Talia shouted at the top of her lungs, her voice cracking. Felix, with both hands on the helm, jerked the rudder control as far to the left as it would go, trying to bank the ship away from the still oncoming mobile armor.

"Distance to enemy ship, 110," one of the Zamza-Zah's gunners reported, his eyes still shielded by the protective goggles he, his co-gunner, and Chase all had equipped in their flight helmets.

Chase smiled behind his helmet visor as he saw the helpless ship attempting to turn away from the attack that was sure to come. "Take aim, gentlemen. Use the Gamzatovs. I want to cause as much damage with one hit as we can."

His gunners computed the data. "Target acquired," one of them announced.

Chase licked his lips. "Alright…fire!"

At the base of the Zamza-Zah's front legs were the Gamzatov energy cannons, which unleashed their destructive power upon the _Minerva_. The shots hit the ship in the bow, directly below the Tannhauser's mounting, but missing the cannon itself. Instead, the shots penetrated deep within the hull, into the lower hangar's bowels and caused an explosion that shook the entire ship.

Talia and the others could feel the ship shake violently even up on the bridge as smoke began to billow out of the hole that the Zamza-Zah's attack had created. "Damage report!" Talia demanded. "Roland, what happened?"

"I'm trying, I'm trying," he repeated. "Aves, this is bridge, do you read me?"

"Loud…clear…" came the gargled response.

"What the hell happened down there?"

"That attack hit the coolant storage room…!" Aves' anxiety-filled voice answered frantically. "We've got fires burning on hangar level one…we have casualties down here…!"

"Get your people out of there!" Roland ordered. "Don't get yourselves killed now!"

"Yes, sir!"

"All hangar crews unrelated to damage and fire control are to evacuate the hangar immediately!" Talia commanded. "Felix, get us away from that thing! Ian, put up a barrage! Where's Shinn?"

The Impulse had seen the aftermath of the _Minerva's_ attack and the subsequent assault by the Zamza-Zah from high above. His emotions infuriated, Shinn had dealt a death blow to the five Windams that had jumped him immediately after the flash had faded and now was racing as fast as he could back to the _Minerva._ "Why in the hell does something like that exist?!" he screamed as he flew down toward the Zamza-Zah which was now making another attack run on the _Minerva_.

Chase detected the Impulse's approach via his radar. He smirked. "So…the ship's little dog wants to play, eh?"

Shinn fired his beam rifle multiple times at the Zamza-Zah, but even when his shots struck home, the mobile armor's armor was able to easily absorb the attacks. Shinn raced around the highly immobile mobile armor and faced it from the front. He fired his rifle at the place where the cockpit would be, but his shots were deflected easily. "Damn it!" Shinn swore, as he was forced into evasive action in order to avoid being crashed into by the Zamza-Zah. The mobile armor executed a wide turn to the right to come back around for another pass. Shinn this time used his machine guns, but again had little effect on the strong armor.

"Heh! Is that all you got?" Chase laughed at his pilot's seat. He brought the Zamza-Zah to an abrupt stop just in front of the Impulse as it was coming straight towards it. Shinn glued himself to the back of his chair as the mobile armor stopped just about a meter in front of him. His red eyes widened in horror, but the mobile armor didn't do anything. Chase continued to smirk. "Let's see how you like playing with my claws?" After activating a switch, the Zamza-Zah's four legs suddenly began to shift form. Shinn watched in awe as double mandible claws suddenly sprang forth from where the Gamzatov cannons had previously been. "Try and dodge this!" Shinn cried out one of the Zamza-Zah's claws lunged at him, but he barely managed to escape its wrath. He attempted to grapple with the next claw that came after him, but its power was too strong for even the Impulse to deal with and Shinn was sent flying down towards the ocean. He managed to come out of his fall, but it was still on him like a lion hunting a zebra. Shinn wondered to himself how he could defeat such a monster.

_**-Orb Union Military HQ, 1150.**_

The entire course of the battle had been playing out on the command center's massive plasma view screens. From the opening shots to the launch of the Zamza-Zah, Yuna, Mwu, and everyone else for that matter had been witness to every aspect of the battle. Yuna had not said much since the battle began, mainly because the Orb forces behind the _Minerva_ had not been required to take action. He was thankful at least for that. "My word," he murmured. "The Earth Forces do seem to come up with some odd machines." He was referring of course to the Zamza-Zah, which was currently engaged with the _Minerva's_ primary mobile suit.

For the first time in quite a while, Mwu spoke. "It completely deflected the _Minerva's_ plasma attack. It's unbelievable." His voice was merely in a hoarse whisper.

Yuna was going to say something in response, but his mind screamed at him. _Don't say it! Don't say it!_ Yuna realized he was about to make a remark about Mwu having first hand experience at something like that, but he bit his tongue hard. _The last thing you need is for him to strangle you now. You have to keep him on your side in order for this to work._ "Yes," was the only word that came out of Yuna's mouth.

It was then that his phone buzzed again. "Hello?"

"Sir, Representative Athha is calling again. She says she needs to speak with you now."

Yuna sighed. "Tell her I'm still quite busy." Without another word, Yuna hung up.

"You're keeping this from her?" Mwu asked him quietly. "Are you sure that's wise?"

Yuna blinked his eyes and responded calmly, "It would only create problems if she were to know about what is happening. She's been with the people on that ship and she still is quite young. Her emotions may not be able to handle something like this."

"You're only two years older than she is, aren't you?" Mwu asked.

Yuna nodded. "I'm in control of my emotions, General."

"Really?" That last remark stung Yuna.

The Commander was listening to his soldiers' reports through a head-set over his ears. "Sir…" he said. "Our sensors indicate the ZAFT ship is turning back toward our borders."

Yuna's stomach sank. "Bring it up on screen." When the image came up, Yuna saw that the report was indeed true. The _Minerva_ had begun to turn to the left, almost in a complete 180 degree turn, which put its course back toward their territory. "How far are they?"

"Approximate distance, 700. Estimated time until they cross the border is five minutes."

"Are our ships still on station?" Yuna asked.

"Yes, sir!"

Yuna paused for a moment. "What are you going to do?" Mwu asked. Yuna glanced at him, but quickly took his gaze away. "If you're going to remain by the standards you said you wanted to follow, you need to order the fleet to commence firing in order to keep the ship out of our territory. That is, if you still think it's best for the nation to remain allied with the Earth Alliance."

Yuna didn't answer for a long time. _If I give the order to open fire…that will sever all ties we once had with the PLANTs. We'll be fully against them in this war. But…_ Yuna looked back up at the screen. The ship was burning in several places, with the Zamza-Zah still on the attack. _I don't want that to happen to our nation. Not again! I can't let a catastrophe like that ever happen again._

"Raise Todoka! Tell him he's to issue a warning to the ZAFT ship immediately. If it gets any closer than 350…give him authorization to open fire." Mwu stared at him for several moments. He said nothing and slowly began to turn away to give the order when Yuna stopped him. "Wait!" Yuna sighed. "Tell him…he's not to use any of his targeting systems as long as they're still outside of our territory. His gunners will fire using their own eyes." Mwu's blue eyes bore into the young Representative until he turned away once again to give the order. Yuna closed his eyes and cursed many times inside of his mind. _Why can't I bring myself to do it? This battle could well determine our nation's future?_

"Yuna?"

Yuna froze when he heard her voice. Only his head turned to the left in order to see Cagalli enter the command center. "Cagalli.,.?" he said quietly. "What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same question. I've been trying to reach you all morning." She noticed Mwu moving back to stand on Yuna's right. "G-General?" Mwu merely nodded in response.

"We're in the middle of something important, Cagalli," Yuna interrupted. "Whatever your concern is, we'll speak about it later."

"I don't think it can wait," Cagalli said, coming beside him. "It's about the _Minerva_…" Her voice trailed off when she saw the image on the view screen. The _Minerva_ was still on course for their border, still afire in some places, and the warning from Colonel Todoka, on board the flagship of the Orb fleet, was just now being broadcast. It could be heard in the command center through the loudspeakers. Yuna could see her eyes widen in shock and her mouth open aghast. "You sold them out…"

"I had no choice-."

"You sold them out to the Alliance!" Cagalli exclaimed, her voice rising and getting more emotional as she spoke. "After everything they did for us and this planet, you sold them out and sent them to die!"

"Cagalli-."

"What's happened to you, Yuna?" Yuna frowned. "You used to never do things like this since I've known you. Yet suddenly you're selling people out behind their backs without a thought and giving them away as a gift to the sharks. How could you possibly-?"

"Will you shut up?!" Yuna yelled. The tone and magnitude of his voice was enough to shock everyone in the room, with the exception of Mwu, who remained expressionless on the other side of Yuna, but he still turned his head slightly to the left to look at him. Yuna had clenched both of his fists and had closed his eyes tightly. Cagalli's voice had lost all of its power after his outburst. "When will you accept the fact that I'm trying to keep our country and its people safe? That's all I'm trying to do!"

"Yuna…" Cagalli said, her voice hushed.

"You weren't here when the Alliance attacked us. I was. I saw the horror and destruction that happened because of that attack. It still haunts me…everything I saw…" Yuna had started trembling and looked like he was on the verge of tears. "I made myself a promise after that day…that I would do whatever it took to prevent this from happening again. That's what I've been trying to do these past two years. I can't afford not to…"

Cagalli's insides had completely turned to soup as he finished. She couldn't speak…not after what Yuna had just said. Instead, she glanced around him at Mwu. "Mwu…" She didn't refer to him as General. He had returned to looking at the view screen. "Mwu…you really don't want to do this do you? You fought with them…you can see that they're not evil people." Mwu's eyes began to narrow. "You've had first-hand experience to what the Alliance is willing to do. You had friends killed." Mwu's mouth gradually formed into a frown. Eventually his teeth emerged fully clenched and his face was scrunched together menacingly. "You can stop all of this. You can put an end to-."

Cagalli's mouth was suddenly covered by Yuna's hand. "Do you ever know when to stop talking?" he said in a whisper. His face had gone back to the normal Yuna she knew. "Look at him. This is hard enough for him as it is. It's harder on him than it is on us," he explained. Mwu still looked very angry indeed. Yuna's eyes met hers as he uncovered her mouth. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "You have to realize that this nation isn't your plaything, Cagalli. There are people you have to be concerned about…who we all need to be concerned about. Their safety is paramount to us. You have to stop thinking with your heart and emotions and start thinking with your brain. You'll only end up making more mistakes otherwise." Cagalli's began to tremble, but she didn't cry. Instead, she simply stood next to Yuna and watched the battle unfold in silence.

_**-Minerva, 1200.**_

"I repeat. Alter your course at once. If you do not abide by our orders, we will have no choice but to exercise our right as a sovereign nation, and we _will_ defend our nation's borders." Talia and the rest of the bridge crew sat in silence as Todoka finished his warning. Felix continued to steer the ship away from the Zamza-Zah, but the mobile armor wasn't leaving him very much choice in which direction to go.

"Well, that's that," Roland remarked quietly. "I think it's pretty clear that we're not welcome in their territory anymore, Talia."

She nodded. "We have no choice then. Felix, change course to starboard. Bring us around."

"That mobile armor is still out there, ma'am," Felix reminded her.

"Just do your best to avoid it." As she said this, the ship shook again as the Earth Forces' fleet continued its barrage. "Ian! Can't you do anything?"

"I'm trying," Ian grumbled. "But if that thing's strong enough to withstand a full Tannhauser shot, I don't think there's very much I can do about it."

"Bart! What's the position of the enemy ships closest to us?"

"They're still in their V-formation, Captain. The carriers are near the back end and they have cruisers on either side of us. But other than that mobile armor, there's relatively few mobile suits coming at us."

"They want that monster to be the one to destroy us," Roland assessed.

"Yes. They think they can destroy us only with that." The ship shook again. _And they may be correct._

On deck, smoke was starting to cloud Lunamaria's vision as she continued to track the mobile armor with her rifle. "Damn! How can that thing fly so well if it's so big?" She fired her rifle and her shot missed the Zamza-Zah just to the left. "Oh, come on!"

"Lunamaria!" Lunamaria felt her ZAKU being pushed down at the shoulder by Brad's ZAKU, which had come forward and fired a single shot at an approaching Windam that had had her in its sights. As it spiraled down into the ocean and disappeared in a great splash, Brad added, "You've got to pay attention! There's more forces around us than that thing!"

"I know that! But what am I supposed to do, let it destroy us? Shinn's fighting hard and even he can't do much against that thing."

Rey fired his own rifle and destroyed a second Windam. "It looks as if its armor is resistant to any form of cannon fire," he said. "But that doesn't mean it can stand up to a full attack with a concentrated grouping of power cells."

"What are you talking about, Rey?" Lunamaria asked.

"I got it," Brad said. His ZAKU turned back toward the bridge of the ship. "Aves, you there?"

"Yeah…I read you Commander," Aves' strained voice replied.

"Do you still have the Impulse's spare beam sabers?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Can you get me one of them?"

"Do you have a plan, Commander?" Lunamaria asked him as he cleared his radio.

He glanced at her momentarily. "Maybe."

Chase continued to press the Zamza-Zah's assault against the ZAFT warship from every different angle possible. He came in low, he came in high. He attacked from port, he attacked from starboard. He had successfully managed to blast several holes into the ship's hull, but not enough to destroy or cripple it completely.

"Mobile suit approaching from six o'clock," one of his gunners reported calmly. "The white one again."

Chase snarled. He glanced at his monitor and saw the flying mobile suit charging at him with its rifle blasting away. "So…trying to keep me away from your ship, are you?" he murmured.

Shinn was closing rapidly on the Zamza-Zah, still attempting to put at least a dent in its armor. Given the Impulse's size compared to the mobile armor, Shinn was considerably faster and more maneuverable than the Zamza-Zah. Shinn growled as he came up right behind the Zamza-Zah and tried to orient his rifle to blast open the cockpit, but the Zamza-Zah banked out of the way and Shinn's shot went straight into the ocean.

"Come on!" Shinn yelled. He fired again at the Zamza-Zah, but the mobile armor fired back, causing Shinn to take evasive measures. His flight path was now taking him perilously close to eh _Minerva_, which was still trailing smoke as it changed course back towards the Alliance Fleet. "The _Minerva_!" Shinn called out as the ship was subjected once again to a cannon barrage from the ships around her.

However, with his attention diverted, Shinn didn't notice the Zamza-Zah coming straight at him until it was directly in his face. Shinn shouted out in surprise as the mobile armor smashed into the Impulse's torso at full speed, knocking him backwards. Shinn came to an abrupt stop as the Zamza-Zah clamped onto the Impulse's damaged right leg with one of its claws. "Say hello to the ocean, bastard!" Chase called out in jubilation as he swung the Impulse down toward the ocean. The force applied on the Impulse's right leg was too much to bear and it snapped off completely at the knee, sending Shinn spiraling down head-first toward the ocean in freefall.

"_Shit!_" Shinn frantically adjusted his controls in order to control his fall. He cut his thrusters completely and pulled back hard on the controls until they were almost pressed against his chest. Eventually, he was able to stabilize his fall and get the Impulse facing upright once again. He reactivated his thrusters again to keep him out of the water and he started skimming the surface in the now one-legged Impulse.

Unfortunately the amount of power he needed to come out of his fall was so much that it had drained the Impulse's battery almost to the limit. His diagnostic board was blinking bright red at him and Shinn swore inside his helmet. Worse, he could see the Zamza-Zah chasing him from behind and with his right leg gone, the Impulse couldn't travel as fast as it normally would due to air resistance.

Shinn headed back toward the _Minerva_ and tried to contact the ship. "_Minerva,_ do you read me? I'm almost out of energy! I need a new weapons pack!"

"Stay there, Kid," he heard Brad respond.

"What?"

"Just get that damn monster to follow you here." Brad, now equipped with one of the Impulse's reserve beam sabers deactivated in his ZAKU's right arm, skipped onto the _Minerva's_ bow and stood up straight. He could see the Impulse approaching with the Alliance mobile armor closing in fast behind it.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing, Commander?" Talia asked him inquisitively.

Brad didn't look at his monitor; instead he adjusted his thruster settings. "If I knew that for sure, wouldn't I have done this earlier?" he remarked. "Be ready to open up with all your weapons once I get back. Also, use the Deuterion beam to recharge the Impulse and have another Leg Flyer and a weapons pack ready for Kid. He's going to need them. Lunamaria?"

"Yes?"

The other two ZAKUs hadn't moved from their firing positions above the catapults. "Can you get that thing's attention for a little bit?"

Before Lunamaria could answer, Rey broke in. "For how long?"

"Just long enough to distract him," Brad responded. "Once he gets close, fire at him. You don't have to hit him, just get his attention. Kid?"

"What?"

"Catch me when I fall, alright?"

"Huh?"

"Just do it! Then you can recharge and go nuts, alright?"

The Impulse continued on toward the _Minerva_ on a straight line course. The Zamza-Zah closed in slowly but surely until it was only a few meters behind it. Chase was lining up his targeting reticle so he could use the Zamza-Zah's claws and snap the mobile suit in half. He licked his lips as he continued to close in. Suddenly, the ZAKUs on the deck of the ZAFT ship opened fire on the Zamza-Zah. The shots didn't even come close, but it still made Chase angry. "How dare you little mice shoot at me?" he snarled. He broke his course and charged down toward the two ZAKUs.

Lunamaria's eyes widened as the mobile armor closed in, getting perilously close to the bow. "Uh…Commander…are you sure-?"

Without warning, Brad's purple, white, and black ZAKU leaped off of the bow of the _Minerva_ and was carried away with the Zamza-Zah. Chase had been jarred out of his aggressiveness by the crash of the ZAKU smacking up against the front of the Zamza-Zah. His eyes widened inside his helmet. Inside his cockpit, Brad kept himself anchored against the mobile armor with the ZAKU's right hand. He smiled inside his helmet. "Gotcha, fat ass!" He brought the Impulse's beam saber up against the Zamza-Zah's cockpit and ignited it.

As smoke and sparks began to rise from the gaping hole left in the mobile armor, Brad released his hold on the front part and began tumbling down toward the ocean. He got to within a few feet of the surface when the Impulse caught him under the arms and began to bring him back toward the _Minerva_. Above them, the Zamza-Zah was engulfed in orange flames that expanded for meters all around, showering debris down onto the ocean surface.

While many of the _Minerva_ crew, Talia and Lunamaria among them, and the Earth Forces' ships were still coming to grips with what just happened, Brad landed gracefully back on the _Minerva's_ bow. "Uh…Commander…?" Lunamaria started to say.

Brad's ZAKU turned halfway back toward her. "Don't even say it. We're going to have enemy mobile suits on our ass any moment now." _With their biggest weapon gone, they're going to turn desperate. We have to get out of here now._ "Captain? We should probably think about getting out of here now."

Talia blinked. "Ian, is the deuterion beam ready?"

"Yes!"

"Have the Impulse get ready for it. Also prepare the Leg Flyer and Sword Silhouette for immediate launch. Felix, change course to mark thirty-seven yellow alpha. We'll head straight for the rear of the enemy formation at top speed."

"With the enemy all around us, that will give them a good angle for an attack, Captain," Arthur warned.

"I understand that, Arthur. But with their forces spread out so as not to leave any escape route open, they've spread themselves thin, particularly at the rear where their carriers are virtually unguarded," Talia explained. "If we can cripple their capital ships, we shouldn't have a problem getting through the blockade. Doing that will also greatly decrease the likelihood that they will pursue us."

Shinn brought the Impulse to the front of the ship, where its back was position directly in front of the bridge. "Ready, Shinn?" Ian asked him.

"Just do it!" Shinn responded roughly. The deuterion beam was a special mechanism built into the _Minerva's_ weapons systems as a portable charge unit for the Impulse's battery. By projecting a thin shot of gamma rays, it could recharge the Impulse's battery and keep it in the air for longer periods of time without having to switch equipment. When the shot from the beam came into contact with the Impulse's back, it only took about fifteen seconds for the Impulse's power source to be brought back up to the maximum levels.

"Stand by for conversion to Sword Impulse," Meyrin ordered. "The Leg Flyer will be out first and then you can re-equip. Just remember that you can't fly with the Sword Silhouette like you could with the Force Silhouette."

"I'll be sure to remember that," Shinn answered, readjusting the bearings on his laser guidance systems. "Alright, do it!"

"Enemy mobile suits approaching!"

"Cover him, Lunamaria! Rey!" Brad shouted.

"Deploying Leg Flyer!"

_Here it comes._ Shinn gradually drew away from the _Minerva_ in order to give his laser guidance system enough room to bring in the new Leg Flyer. Working the controls feverishly, Shinn detached the old Leg Flyer and powered down his armor at the same time. A few Windams tried to get in shots on him while he was vulnerable, but accurate counter fire from both Brad and Rey took care of them.

"Deploying Sword Silhouette Flyer!"

No sooner had Shinn finished reattaching the new Leg Flyer to the Impulse then the new weapons pack was also on its way. _With the Sword Silhouette, I can't fly. But that doesn't mean I can't move around a lot. _Shinn studied the formation of the Earth Forces fleet below him and saw that the ships in the V-shape were relatively close together. Judging by their proximity, Shinn had a feeling that he would be able to hop around and clear a path for the _Minerva_.

The Sword Silhouette anchored itself to his back with a thud. Shinn powered up the phase shift armor, turning the Impulse back into its standard red and white colors. With his hovering ability gone, Shinn dropped slowly down toward the _Minerva_, landing on the bow on one knee next to Brad, who was already firing his rifle at oncoming mobile suits and warships.

"Proceed ahead at full speed!" Talia ordered. "We're breaking through!"

"How close do you need to be, Kid?" Brad asked beside him.

"This is close enough!" Shinn answered simply, vaulting the Impulse into the air and coming down on top of a picket ship on the left side of the formation of ships.

"Don't overdo it, Kid!" Brad shouted after him, but Shinn didn't listen. He knew what he had to do.

_You people took my family away from me._ Shinn's mind was brought back to the day where his family had been killed; murdered by the Earth Forces during their cowardly assault. _The blue mobile suit may not be here…but that doesn't mean I can't destroy all you cowards! _"I won't let you bastards harm anyone else!" A seed exploded before his eyes.

The Impulse leapt off of the first picket ship and soared through the air a great distance before landing on a transport ship next to the nearest of the aircraft carriers to him. Reaching behind him for his two anti-ship swords, Shinn combined both blades and howled loudly as he brought them down on top of the ship's flight deck. After several of these attacks, the deck had gaping holes stretched from one end of the deck to the other and fires were just starting to erupt from inside. The Impulse jumped off of the transport ship and got into the air just before a gigantic explosion rocked the carrier and split the once mighty ship in two. As he flew threw the air, the Impulse's free hand grabbed hold of one of its beam boomerangs and flung it toward the next carrier he could see. The accuracy of the attack was astonishing; the boomerang sliced directly through the ship's bridge at the base and sent the superstructure tumbling slowly into the salt water below. Shinn landed on the ship's deck and aimed the point of his blade at the spot where he thought the ship's ammunition magazines would be. Thrusting deep into the ship, the fires started almost instantaneously. By the time he was airborne again, the entire carrier in flames. Shinn strafed several picket ships with his CIWS machine guns and forced gunner crews to dive for cover. Spotting the next carrier, Shinn bounced off of the top of two picket ships and sliced deep into the port side of the ship, once again hitting the ammunition magazines and causing a mind-jarring explosion caused by the fires hitting the reserve mobile suits resting in the ship's underbelly.

Shinn had not stopped shouting the entire time; he never once said a complete word. It was all just pent up emotion that he was getting out now in his rage. Back on the _Minerva_, which was now racing toward the flaming ships at top speed and opening up with every gun it had, with the exception of the Tannhauser, Lunamaria could hear Shinn yelling as he destroyed ship after ship. _I've never seen him like this,_ she said to herself in between shots from her ZAKU's rifle. _What happened to him?_

Shinn roared as he reached the fourth carrier in his rampage and landed on one knee on the flight deck, directly across from the bridge. He could see through the windows the panic that the crew was going through at this very moment. He loved it. "Take this!" He plunged his sword into the heart of the ship. However, as he tried to retract his blade as result of the subsequent explosions that rocked the ship, his sword got caught on something below deck. The Impulse tried frantically to remove it, but the explosion came through the flight deck before he could, sending the Impulse flailing off of the flight deck. Inside the cockpit, Shinn was thrown back into his seat, but his right hand came off of the control stick and his elbow smashed into the metal bulkhead at the rear of the cockpit with an ugly thud. Shinn screamed out as the impact send shockwaves of pain through his arm as the Impulse landed on the deck of an Earth Forces' transport ship.

"Kid! Get back to the ship!" Brad's voice called out to him. Shinn, his arm still numb with pain, glanced through his view screen and saw that the _Minerva_ was proceeding directly through the hole he had created by destroying the first two carriers. "If you don't want to get left behind, get your ass in gear and get back here!" Shinn didn't need to be told again. He adjusted his bearings so he could get closer to the _Minerva_ and started skipping off of the decks of the ships back towards the ship.

On the bridge of the _Ticonderoga_, one of the few ships that had managed to escape total destruction during Shinn's rampage, Ishida listened in silence as the damage reports came slowly filtering in. He had seen the Zamza-Zah's destruction with his own eyes; the magnitude of such an act, perpetrated by a mere grunt mobile suit, was unthinkable to him. Now virtually his entire fleet was in flames. "_Hancock_ sunk. _Bennington_ sunk. _Boxer_ on fire and sinking. _Constellation_ heavily damaged."

"Admiral." Ishida glanced at the monitor and saw Doherty's exasperated face, his helmet off. "It's hopeless now. With four carriers gone and over sixty mobile suits shot done, we can't hope to pursue. We need to cut our losses."

Ishida could tell by Doherty's voice that he had been left just as flabbergasted by the outcome of the battle as he was. Reluctantly, he issued the order. "Send orders to all ships. Recover mobile suits and allow the ship to pass."

At the military HQ, Yuna, Cagalli, Mwu, and everyone else for that matter had been rendered speechless. The Impulse's destructive power was now on display for everyone to see. Cagalli could hardly believe her eyes at the destruction the mobile suit and its pilot had caused. Worst of all, Cagalli had met the individual who had caused this unspeakable destruction. He was the man who had a terrible vengeance set against Orb. If he were ever set loose against the country…

"Shall I order our ships to fall back?" Mwu asked Yuna quietly.

Yuna nodded in response. "We've done enough here today," he whispered, out of breath.

Mwu gave the order. "I have a bad feeling we have just made a powerful enemy," he said under his breath, but loud enough for Yuna to hear. Deep inside, he knew Mwu was right.

A short distance from the military HQ, a set of eyes watched the Impulse as it made its way back to the _Minerva_. They had seen the entire attack, counterattack, and destruction that the battle had consisted of, including the incredible power of the ZAFT mobile suit as it destroyed ship after ship, mobile suit after mobile suit. The individual the eyes belonged to brought his binoculars away from his eyes and put his sunglasses back over them. Grant spent a long time afterward staring out at the ocean as the ZAFT ship slowly drifted out of sight. He was not entirely amazed by the power of the ZAFT mobile suit; he had been briefed on the new design a few days beforehand. But he would use the battle footage he had just seen to his advantage. He would become better at what he did because of it. And in case he ever came across that mobile suit in a battle on the opposite side from it, he would be sure that he would not end up as the Earth Forces just had.

Shinn landed awkwardly on the forward deck of the _Minerva_, breathing heavily, his elbow still throbbing. "Shinn? Are you alright?" Lunamaria asked him, her ZAKU leaning over to try and assist him.

"I'm…fine…" Shinn panted. "How's the ship?"

Lunamaria sat back in her seat. "We made it," she responded.

"Good."

_**-Aprilius One, 1300.**_

Athrun had remained in his hotel room for several days after his meeting with Dearka and Yzak. Their words still rang in his mind during his self-imposed isolation from the rest of the world. He had gone over and over the consequences his actions would have if he chose to take the Chairman's offer and become a person who could help stop the war. Each time he had reached the same conclusion. He could not simply stand around and do nothing with the power he held in his mind and body.

After much soul-searching, Athrun finally got up the nerve to pick up the phone and dial the number that had been left with him. "Hello, PLANT government offices. How may I help you?"

The soft, feminine voice stood in stark contrast to the voyage Athrun was about to set out on. "This is Athrun Zala. I'd like to speak with Chairman Dullindal."

**END PHASE-14.**


	16. Phase 15 Rolling Thunder

**Phase-15 Rolling Thunder**

_**-Minerva, Pacific Ocean, October 22, C.E. 73, 0900.**_

Autumn in the South Pacific is typically one of the quietest times of the year in terms of weather. While the North Pacific is still under the threat of tropical storms well into the autumn, the South Pacific is rarely subject to storms of that magnitude during the same period of time. So it was not a surprise that the crew of the _Minerva _found themselves venturing on towards the ZAFT Carpentaria base under a cloudless sky with bright sunshine streaming down upon the hull of the warship. The ocean waves that skimmed beneath the ship's belly were a clear blue, equal in color to that of the sky above them, and Pacific currents made sure that a gentle breeze was present at all times.

Several members of the crew were on deck at this hour in the morning, but their task was far more serious than simple relaxation. These men and women were going over every inch of the _Minerva's_ hull with careful eyes, looking for potentially catastrophic damage that the ship had sustained during its escape from Orb two days earlier. The ship had indeed suffered a great deal of hull and interior scarring as a result of the attack, but it wasn't on a level that required the ship to stop in order to make repairs. Instead, members of the deck crew had been implementing temporary repairs to the ship as she continued on towards Carpentaria, where she would be able to receive a full overhaul and repair.

"The crews on deck report no new anomalies detected on the hull," Roland informed Talia as the two officers made their way to the mess hall and breakfast.

"That's good. At least we can be sure that the ship will hold together for now," Talia responded seriously. "What's the status on temporary repairs?"

"We've managed to cordon off the area where the coolant tank exploded during the battle and we're having the crews that were in close proximity to the blast checked to make sure they didn't suffer any ill effects of inhaling the fumes." Roland folded his arms. "But so far, Victoria hasn't found anything that would be considered serious."

Talia nodded. "If she says no one was affected then I'm willing to trust her word." They reached the closed door to the mess hall and Talia reached for the control to open it, but Roland stopped her by placing his hand over hers. "What?" Talia said to him.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing."

"Oh, come on. It's rare that ever see you this serious _this_ early in the morning. You've got something on your mind. What's troubling you?"

Talia sighed. "If we continue at our current speed, we'll reach Carpentaria in two days."

"Yeah, so?"

"_So_, that still means the Earth Forces can launch an attack on us before then. Our sources indicate that they have many naval forces in this area. And with the ship in the condition it's in, I would sincerely like to avoid meeting any of them."

"I know what you mean," Roland said. "But we were able to survive the ambush at Orb. I think we can handle a unit of mobile suits coming after us. Don't you?"

Talia managed to smile. "So, are you planning on letting go of my hand?"

Roland froze. "Oh…yeah! Sorry!" He released her hand and Talia finally opened the door.

In the hangar, Brad stood on the open cockpit hatch of his ZAKU, a beverage container clutched in his right hand, himself once again clothed in his red and white pilot suit, the top half bunched around his waist. Normally he wouldn't drink at this hour, but he found that having an occasional drink while working on his mobile suit wasn't that disorienting. He took a sip from the container and tilted his head from side to side. He glanced at the can. "10 percent my ass." Leaning up against the side of his ZAKU, he glanced down at the hangar floor where Aves was running checks on his ZAKU's internal circuitry. Normally it would fall to the Chief Mechanic's subordinates to do the individual work on the mobile suits, but with so many of his staff working on repairs to the ship, Aves was working on the mobile suits himself. "How's it coming, Aves?"

The chief mechanic brought the palm of his hand up to his brow and wiped away beads of sweat. "Your overall circuitry is fine, but the couplings have become increasingly strained. Once we get to Carpentaria, we'll do a complete overhaul of the system and replace them."

"I haven't put any more strain on it than I usually do," Brad said. "What the hell caused 'em to go bad?"

"Well, did you ever think that your little stunt with the mobile armor at Orb may have had something to do with it?" Aves asked, his voice riddled with sarcasm.

Brad snorted. "That wasn't anything special. I just jumped up."

"It didn't look very ordinary to us, Commander," Lunamaria replied. She had been listening in on the conversation while working with Yolant on her pink ZAKU. "From where I was, it looked like that maneuver took a lot of concentration."

Brad glanced at her. "You overestimate my abilities," he admonished. "Concentration and that lot aren't my specialties."

"Oh, _sure_," Lunamaria said slyly. "But what I don't understand is how you adapted so well to combat on Earth when you've never been here before."

Brad shrugged before taking another sip of his beverage. "You go with what battle gives you. You learn as you fight. That's how it's always been. But I will say this, fighting down here is a lot different than in space. You have to adapt to a different set of conditions here. Gravity becomes a factor and you can't do as much as you could in space. It's a whole new world down here."

"Wow, for someone who doesn't concentrate a lot, you sure gave that sentiment a lot of thought," Lunamaria commented. Brad rolled his eyes in response.

It was then that Shinn arrived in the hangar. His right arm was heavily bandaged at the elbow where the limb had made hard contact with the bulkhead of his mobile suit during the battle two days before. He hadn't done any serious damage to it, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. While the pain had dulled away, Shinn couldn't help but wince every once in a while if he moved it the wrong way.

The crew had praised him universally for his actions during the battle in Orb; many were awestruck at the sheer notion that he had destroyed nine warships, including four carriers, all on his own. Shinn had thought nothing of it. All he could recall was that almost immediately after he had rearmed the Impulse with the Sword parts, he suddenly could see better. The battle took on a much clearer image and suddenly he saw what he needed to do in order to win. His muscles had seemingly gotten stronger and his mind could think even more clearly. It was as if pressure inside of him had suddenly been released and all of a sudden he was fighting better than he ever had. Shinn had liked that sense of ease during that short period of time; it gave him the sense that he could do anything on the battlefield. Hopefully that would serve him well in the future as well.

"Hi, Shinn!" Lunamaria called down to him from her ZAKU. He waved back up at her in return.

"Is the Core Splendor still in the central dock, Yolant?" Shinn called up to the young mechanic.

"Yeah. It's sitting there. We finished repairs yesterday."

"Thanks."

"Hang on a minute, Shinn," Aves interrupted. He motioned for Shinn to come closer to him as he finished with the checks on Brad's ZAKU. He wiped his mouth with the back of his jumpsuit sleeve. "I have orders from the bridge not to let you work on the Core Splendor."

Shinn stiffened. "What?"

"That's it. I'm not supposed to let you near it."

"Why not?" Shinn demanded, his voice rising.

"I don't know. The order only said, 'he's not to work on it'. That's it."

"But that's ridiculous!" Shinn shouted. He spread his arms out wide and his elbow screamed at him for doing it. "Why the hell wouldn't they let me even go by it?"

"If you have any qualms, you should go take it up with the Captain," Aves said calmly, not having moved from his sitting position. "Those are the orders and you and I have no choice but to abide by-."

"The _Minerva_ wouldn't even be out here like it is if it wasn't for me," Shinn said. "I fought my guts out at Orb and almost got myself killed. And now this is how they repay for me for it?"

"Hey, Kid, settle down!" Brad called down to him. "Shouting ain't gonna do you any good in this situation. You're not allowed near the Core Splendor and that's that. Cool off and forget about it."

"Great! I save the ship and suddenly I'm being treated like a prisoner!" Shinn said, stomping off loudly. He continued his tirade as he headed toward the exit of the hangar, still fuming.

Aves glanced up at Brad. "A little on the egotistical side, isn't he?" he remarked.

Brad snorted before taking another gulp from the container. "A little may be understating the fact."

_**-Earth Forces Azrachel Lunar Base, 1100.**_

Neo found it hard to concentrate on what his superior officer was saying to him due to the fact that his body could not stop shivering. "Could someone please turn the heat up, it's freezing in here," he asked, glancing away from the monitor he had been looking at.

"I'm sorry, Colonel. The heating system in this ward is under repair. We can't touch it until at least tomorrow afternoon," was the response he got.

Neo sighed angrily. _Why am I not surprised? _He looked back at the monitor on his desk where the image of General Garrett Hart looked back at him in an inquisitive manner. "I apologize, General. You were saying?"

Hart's image was that of a hardened man with an emotionless face. He spoke gruffly. "As I was saying, you Colonel Roanoke, along with your three pilots, are being reassigned to duties on Earth."

"Earth, you say. To what do we owe the honor?" One of the base's officers entered Neo's office at that moment and whispered something in his ear. "Very well," he said. "I'll be there momentarily." Glancing back at the monitor, Neo smiled. "I apologize, General. Something has been called to my attention. May we continue this conversation via wireless head-set?"

"Yes, that's quite alright." Neo turned the monitor off and reached for the head-set handing from the side of the screen. He placed the ear phones over his ears and adjusted the microphone so that it was positioned directly in front of his lips. "Testing. Can you hear me, General?"

"Yes, I can hear you loud and clear," Hart responded. His rough voice sounded so clear through the head-set that Neo wouldn't have been surprised if Hart was actually standing right beside them.

Neo walked to the door of his office and stepped into the corridor beyond it. He headed to the right, toward the place where Sting, Stella, and Auel were currently resting. "Now where were we…oh yes. I was going to ask why we're being reassigned to Earth, General."

He could hear Hart clear his throat. "I'm sure you've read the reports from Admiral Ishida concerning the battle that took place at Orb two days ago?"

Neo paused. He had indeed read the reports. He had seen the damage the _Minerva_ had done to the ships that had been sent to destroy it; the performance of the mobile suit was particularly impressive. "I have."

"You also are aware of how poorly our navy has fared against the ship so far. Having taken those measures into account, as well as the performance of your pilots against the ship in the past, it was clear to us that you are one of the few units who can hope to match the fighting strength of that ship." Hart added, "We currently have a submarine task force shadowing the ship, which we believe to be on its way to Carpentaria."

"Of course. They took considerable damage from our forces during the fight so they'd naturally look for a place to complete repairs at their nearest friendly base," Neo said. He continued down the corridor by himself, passing several soldiers along the way. These men and women were little more than office personnel, assigned to assist the higher ranking officers, so Neo did not recognize any of them distinctly.

"Although we have a tremendous amount of faith in our forces in the area, there is still a good chance that the ship will eventually reach Carpentaria. Once it is there however, its next destination is unclear to us."

Neo understood. "So you want me nearby to watch them. In order to make sure that they don't do anything that would catch us off guard."

"Precisely. You'll be assigned to the carrier group supporting the _Toshikaze_ under Admiral Greer. The ships are currently anchored at the Mansfield Naval Base in Malaysia."

"Malaysia? But that's merely a supply base," Neo interjected.

"Most of our Pacific fleet is currently in anchorage in Orb undergoing repairs. And to make sure that the nation doesn't try to double cross us. At the moment the Mansfield base makes the most sense because we don't have any ships at anchor in Sydney at the moment."

"I see." Neo eventually reached his intended destination after about five minutes. Located deep beneath the lunar surface, the central hibernation chamber for the three Extended pilots was, in Neo's best estimation, the quietest place in the entire base. The three hibernation chambers, or plastic cocoons as Neo liked to call them, were arranged in a triangular formation behind a transparent plastic screen where the monitoring scientists observed the Extended's rest. Neo entered the observation room behind the plastic screen and stood as close as he could to it without pressing up against the plastic.

It appeared as though Sting had just woken up as Neo had entered. The oldest of the three Extendeds stretched his strong arms up above his head and craned his neck from side to side. He glanced at his right wrist, which was the first thing he always did upon awakening, and smiled at the tattoo there. That was his last connection to his memories; at least the one's Neo had allowed him to keep.

Sting was different from the other Extendeds. As the unofficial leader of the trio, and the most emotionally stable, Neo felt it necessary for Sting to remember certain things about the past in order to keep him in tune with current events. Auel and Stella meanwhile were considered to be too unstable for their memories to be retained, so they did not remember anything that happened before they entered the cocoons. It was up to Sting and Neo to fill them in on who they were and what was happening. So, Neo had allowed Sting to retain his memories up until his 16th birthday and after his 18th. Everything else in between had to be erased. Otherwise things would get…complicated. Sting then turned his head toward the screen and saluted when he saw Neo. Neo saluted back and right afterward Sting exited the chamber through the door, a scientist right behind him.

"He appears to be doing well," Neo said to one of the monitoring scientists who was sitting at his console.

The scientists nodded. "All results show that his internal systems are running smoothly. The chambers are doing exactly what they are intended to."

Neo nodded. "And his memories?"

"Well…although I don't think it's necessary…and it may in fact be quite dangerous…he has no memory of what happened to him between July 29, C.E. 71, and July 29, of this year. But he seems to remember everything else."

"Good."

"Are you sure it's alright to keep him like that, Colonel?"

"He'll be fine." Neo then realized that he was still connected to Hart. "I apologize once again, General."

"Yes, well I was going to ask you if your three pilots are going to need anything special for their trip to and subsequent stay on Earth."

Neo glanced back at the cocoons in the next room. Stella was in the closest one, her eyes closed tightly as she slept soundly. "No. Just give them the same as you would give any other soldier. We'll take care of the rest."

"Very well. I will be contacting you again when the time comes for you to arrive." As the line was cut, Neo kept his eyes trained on Stella. The young girl had never been to Earth, as far as her memories were concerned that was. Neo couldn't help but smile.

_She'll enjoy being on Earth. It will be good for her._

_**-Lord Djibril's Mansion, Madrid, Spain, 2100 local time.**_

While waiting for Copeland to occupy the other end of the telecommunications line that he had established, Djibril calmly went over several pages of laptop data that he had been working on for several weeks, months in fact. An engineer by trade, Djibril had made his fortune in designing high-performance automobiles early in his life and then had switched to military artillery and ground units once hostilities between the Earth Forces and the Coordinators had reached a high level. But ground units weren't his only specialties; he also had hobbies, which included the designs he was currently saving to a portable hard drive unit for easier transportation.

He ejected the drive from the side of his computer and handed it to Samuel. "Send this to Hawkins, will you, Samuel? Inform him I'll be meeting with him in person at his flat next week."

"Yes, sir." Samuel bowed to his master and exited the room without a word.

Djibril turned back toward the screen and was greeted with the sight of a very disgruntled looking President Copeland. "What do you want, Djibril? I'm very busy," he said roughly.

Djibril frowned. "You know very well what I want," he snapped, though it was hard to tell given his gentle tone. "What is all this Suez nonsense? I thought I made it very clear to you what our objective in this war was."

"Yes, you did. But that was before Eurasia seceded," Copeland responded. "When that happened, our priorities changed."

"And why is that? Because of your damn pride and that you can't believe that another nation wouldn't side with you?"

"Eurasia's action could have lead to a domino effect, Djibril," Copeland reiterated. He shrugged his shoulders. "If other nations saw Eurasia secede and nothing be done about it, that could very well likely lead them to believe that they could secede as well and no consequences would become of it."

"Your actions may very well end up leading to that," Djibril fired back. "Attacking Suez was a pointless exercise that only served to make Eurasia even crosser. They were already in a bad enough mood to begin with, but they weren't going to do anything. Now that you've provoked him, Bradford won't hesitate to throw his entire weight against you. And you know full well what he's capable of."

"That is precisely why we must deal with him now. Our military might has never been stronger and with one of his key bases lost, Bradford's back is against the wall."

"You and your Generals underestimate his abilities," Djibril warned. "I've fought against him personally and I know what that man can do when he's motivated."

Copeland's lips twitched just a fraction. "The only reason you were out there at Jachin Due in the first place was because Azrael allowed it."

Djibril managed a smirk. "I got results, didn't I?"

"Nevertheless, the decision has already been made. The fight against Eurasia will be escalated in the coming weeks."

Djibril rolled his eyes. "Once again, that is a completely unnecessary act. Our focus should be on defeating the Coordinators, what we set out to do from the beginning."

"I'm afraid the decision has already been made on this matter, Djibril."

"You don't trust me, Mr. President, do you?" Djibril asked plainly. Copeland's expression changed slightly to incorporate a irked demeanor. "Even after everything I've done in the past, which includes saving many of your countrymen during that disaster of an operation two and a half years ago; it's all meaningless to you, isn't it?"

Copeland sighed. "Compared to General Hart, you have nowhere near as much military experience. Although I am grateful for everything you've done, he is more versed in battle tactics. I'm more than willing to trust his judgment on this matter. If you have any other objections, feel free to raise them. Otherwise," Copeland shut his eyes, "don't contact me directly again. I'll contact you." With that, the line was cut.

Djibril sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. _Well, this is going to be very interesting. _He consulted the monitor board in front of him and listened to reports coming in from the Pacific and South America about the Coordinators' efforts to rebuff the Alliance offensives on those fronts. _It seems my esteemed counterpart has also begun his move. If all goes well...this game may turn very quickly indeed._

_**-Minerva, 1200.**_

Compared to the past few days, the bridge was fairly laid back when Talia arrived following her lunch. She could still taste the splendid traces of her food even after they had slipped down her throat and into her digestive track. _Remind me to compliment the chef on board again._

The normal midday shift was on hand at this time; Arthur at his console to the left of her Captain's seat, Meyrin at the communications station, and Ian and Felix below in the lower bridge. Taking her seat, Talia bid them all a good afternoon and began to settle in for what she hoped would be a quiet shift. _Though I doubt it will be._

"Captain!"_ Speak of the devil._ Arthur glanced over his shoulder at his Captain and addressed her. "Ensign Asuka's been clamoring to speak with you all morning."

Talia sighed. "Why am I not surprised," she murmured under her breath.

"I may be guessing, but could it be that he's upset you've barred him from working on the Impulse?" Arthur inquired with a scant trace of sarcasm.

Talia rolled her eyes. "I knew he'd be mad, but it had to be done." _I know I'm going to regret this decision._ "Put him through. I'll speak to him."

"As you wish, ma'am," Arthur said. To Talia, his voice seemed to be asking her if she knew what she was doing.

No sooner had the line been connected that Shinn's angry voice thundered into Talia's ears. "Captain! Why are you not allowing me to go into the Core Splendor?"

"Because you're incapable of piloting it, Ensign Asuka," Talia responded sternly.

"Incapable? Who says?"

"Doctor Dullindal did not declare you medically fit to pilot it," Talia said, trying not to let her voice rise. "If she says you can't do it, I'm not going to disagree with her."

"What? That little...damn it!" The line was mysterious cut off, but Talia could see in her mind Shinn slamming the receiver back onto the holder.

She heard someone snicker in front of her. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Arthur asked her without turning around.

Talia turned her head slightly. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, come on." This time Arthur did turn around. "You know if anyone can get him to calm down it's Victoria. Why else would you have been so up front with him?"

Talia sighed. "It may just be me, but it's getting to the point where someone is going to have to put him straight." Her expression sobered. "He may be an excellent pilot, we probably all owe him our lives, but he's too unpredictable, too moody. Those very traits that he used so well in the battle could very well bring about his undoing." Talia placed her chin in her palm. "And if that happens, we may not be very far behind him."

Below the bridge, in the ship's infirmary, Victoria heard a soft ping sound through her office/station signaling that someone was at her door. She pressed the intercom button and asked who it was. "Crewman Ida Saxton reporting, ma'am..." was the timid response. "Y-you requested to see me?"

"Yes. Please come in." After the door sighed open and upon hearing a series of cautious footsteps against the tiled floor, Victoria turned away from the medical form she had been preparing and took in the sight of her patient. Before her was a young girl, she couldn't have been older than 16, with curly shoulder-length red hair, green eyes, and height of approximately five and half feet. She wore the traditional olive green uniform of low ranking ZAFT soldiers, including the cap, and had her hands folded in front of her. "Good afternoon, Ida. How are you today?"

Ida, who had been looking down at the floor up until this point, brought her face to Victoria's level. Her eyes looked small and her lips were frowned. "I-I'm...okay..." she managed to murmur.

Victoria smiled at her. "Well, I'm very happy to here that." She gestured to the examination table and asked Ida to sit. The girl moved slowly over to the table while Victoria glanced back down at her medical file. "You're sixteen years old, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yes..."

"Do your parents still live on October Four?"

"Yes...they do..."

Victoria could tell by the way that Ida was speaking that she wasn't too keen on being here. She turned back toward Ida and walked toward her. "Do you know why I asked you to come here, Ida?" she asked kindly. Ida shook her head, her red curls swaying back and forth under her cap. "You're one of the communication relays in the hangar, aren't you?" Ida nodded. "Well during the last battle, a coolant tank was ruptured in the vicinity of your station. When a coolant fumes are leaked, they can cause severe internal injuries to individuals who inhale those fumes. And as the chief medical officer on board the ship, it is my duty to make sure that every member of the crew is of the best health. Therefore, I just want to examine you to make sure that you have no ill effects as a result of inhaling those fumes. Are you okay with that?" Ida paused, but eventually nodded slowly without saying anything. "Good. Now then...I'm just going to be doing the basic examination; you know, like the yearly checkup your doctor back home would give you."

Retrieving the first of her instruments, Victoria pointed a light emitting device at one of Ida's eyes. "I'm going to start by checking your eyes. There will be a bright light, but don't be scared. I'm just checking your pupils, okay?" Ida tensed somewhat when Victoria turned on the light, but before she could do anything, Victoria spoke again. "You have very pretty eyes, Ida. Did you get them from your mother, or your father?"

Ida didn't move. "Uh...I think...my mom..." she whispered back.

Victoria moved to the other eye. "She must be very pretty then. I mean, to have a daughter as pretty as you, she must be very proud."

Ida shifted her hands in her lap. "T-thank you..."

"Okay, your eyes look fine. I'm going to check your ears now." Victoria moved to either side of Ida and shined the light into both of her auditory passageways. "Good. There doesn't look to be anything wrong here, either."

Victoria pocketed the light and removed a wooden stick, not unlike a popsicle stick, from her coat. "Can you open your mouth for me, please? Say 'aah'."

"Aah..." Ida gurgled as Victoria inserted the stick into her mouth. "Good. Are you a singer, Ida?" Ida murmured slightly in her throat, but Victoria could tell that she had meant to say, "what?" "You're voice is very pretty. You'd make a very good singer."

After closing her mouth, Ida said, "You...really think so...?"

"Of course. Have you heard Lacus Clyne sing before?"

"Yes."

"Well, I think you could be just as good as her, with your voice," Victoria said sincerely. Ida smiled for the first time during the examination.

Taking out a small mallet, Victoria placed her hand gently on Ida's knee. "Okay. I'm going to test your reflexes now. You've seen one of these before, haven't you? I'm just going to tap your knee with this and just react normally, okay?" She proceeded to tap each of Ida's knees with the mallet and each time Ida's leg kicked forward instinctively. "Good. Things look great."

Victoria went back to input the results so far onto the medical form. "Could you take your jacket off for me, Ida?" she asked. Although she appeared, hesitant, Ida did as she was asked, placing her jacket behind her on the table. Victoria came back toward her and took her stethoscope in her hand. "So far everything looks great, Ida. Have you always been this healthy?"

Ida thought about it. "I...guess so," she responded softly. "I...was never sick that much when I was little..."

"That's great. That means you probably won't get sick a lot when you get older." Victoria kneeled down in front of her. "Could you lift your shirt up a little for me? I need to check your heart to make sure it's okay." She could see Ida's throat fluctuate after she had asked the question. "It's okay. I won't do anything that makes you uncomfortable. If you feel uneasy in any way, feel free to tell me. Okay?" Ida eventually nodded and lifted her shirt up as Victoria had asked. Victoria slipped the stethoscope up to Ida's chest and toward her heart. "This will be a little cold," she warned. Ida tensed again when she felt the metal touch her skin, but she relaxed after a few seconds. Victoria listened to Ida's heartbeat through the ear plugs on her stethoscope. "Good. It sounds like your heart is very healthy."

As she scribbled on the medical form again, Victoria heard Ida ask quietly, "Uh...doctor?"

"Yes?"

"H-how...did you get to be such a good doctor?" Victoria glanced at Ida inquisitively. "I've...never been to a doctor so nice before. You...make me feel really good..."

Victoria smiled and blinked her eyes. "Well...I guess I learned it from my Father. He was a doctor too. He taught me a lot about what a good doctor had to be. The most important thing he told me...was that a doctor has to get their patients to trust them. If you can't do that, a doctor isn't doing his job. We need to make our patients feel as comfortable as possible. Anything less isn't acceptable...at least in my book it's not. Do I have your trust, Ida?"

Ida smiled again, this time baring her pearly white teeth. "Yes," she giggled.

"I'm glad." Victoria moved behind Ida and pressed her palm against her back. "I'm going to check your lungs now, so when you feel the stethoscope press against your back, breath in deep for me, okay?" Victoria slipped the metal disc up Ida's shirt to various points on her middle and lower back. "Breath in...good." She repeated this process in four different places along Ida's back. "Very good...your lungs are fine." Moving back in front of her, Victoria kneeled down in front of Ida again and placed her hands on her knees. "You look very healthy indeed, Ida. I don't see any signs of any ill doing by the coolant fumes." Ida's eyes seemed to sparkle, but what Victoria was about to say next was sure to take it out of them. She always hated this part of the examination; this was the part where the trust of the patient was stretched to the very limit. "Now, Ida. In order to finish the examination, and make sure that you are one hundred percent healthy...I'm going to have to ask you to take off your uniform."

On cue, Ida stiffened and her expression changed from one of happiness to shock. Victoria squeezed the girl's knees gently. "I know, I know..." she said softly. "I don't like this part of the checkup anymore than you do. I always used to hate it when my doctor would say that to me too. But unless you do this, I can't guarantee that you're completely healthy. And if I can't do that, some bad things may happen to you. I don't want that to happen to such a good girl, like you." Ida seemed to relax somewhat and Victoria sensed that she had gotten through to her emotions. "No one on board the ship will know about any of this. I promise that whatever happens in here will be completely secret between you and me. And on my doctor's code, I vowed that I will never break a promise to any of my patients. Otherwise, I wouldn't be doing my job. Now...do you see that screen behind you?" Ida glanced behind her at the painted screen set up in the corner of Victoria's office. "You'll go back behind there, take your uniform off, come out, I'll finish the checkup nice and quick, you'll put your uniform back on, and you'll be done in three minutes. Does that sound okay?" It took several seconds, but Ida eventually nodded slowly once again, reassuring Victoria that she had indeed earned the girl's trust. "Okay. Go ahead. I'll be waiting out here for you."

Ida disappeared behind the screen and Victoria turned back to the medical form so she could finish scribbling information down. Everything she had done during the checkup she had learned from her Father. He had been her mentor and the reason why she had wanted to go into medicine in the first place. She felt that helping people was the greatest reward a person could receive and every time she told one of her patient's that they were okay was the greatest feeling in the world to her. As she finished the form, she silently thanked her Father in her mind. _I owe all of this to you, Daddy._

Ida emerged from behind the screen with her hands folded in front of her, like she had when she had first come into the office. "Okay, Ida. Now just stand very still right there...and I'll finish this up." Victoria kneeled down in front of Ida and began to examine her skin complexion. In cases of coolant poisoning, the most obvious sign of infection was a discoloration of the skin. As she finished examining Ida's figure, she could find no sign of such discoloration. "Okay, Ida. Everything looks very good. I don't find any sings at all that you were affected by the fumes. You can go get dressed and get back to-"

The door to the office flung itself open behind them. Shinn stood in the doorway and took a step inside. "Hey, Doc-!" He froze when he saw the sight before him; Victoria was kneeling down in front of a young girl in her underwear. Ida screamed at the top of her lungs. Shinn cried out in surprise as he took a step back into the doorway.

"Shinn, close the door!" Victoria shouted at him. Shinn stumbled back through the doorway and fumbled for the door switch on the wall, eventually sealing the steel door beside him. He flattened himself against the bulkhead and breathed heavily. His red eyes were wide with surprise, his cheeks almost an identical shade of red, and his heart was thumping inside of his chest cavity. _What the hell did I just see?_ he asked himself.

After a few minutes, the door sighed open again beside him. Ida emerged from Victoria's office completely pale and with her shoulders slumped. She saw Shinn leaning up against the wall to her left and glared at him. "Pervert!" she cried, her words stinging him. Without another word, she turned the other way and began to stalk away. Shinn sighed heavily, his head dropping down towards the ground and his throat emptying itself of breath. Finally, he went back to the open doorway and inside the office.

"Knock next time, please Shinn," Victoria said spitefully as she finished writing out the medical form. "You embarrassed Ida beyond comprehension. We'll be lucky if that girl ever goes to see a doctor, again!"

"Look, I'm sorry about that. But that's not why I'm here!"

"I wonder why," Victoria responded sarcastically.

"Why the hell didn't you clear me to the pilot the Impulse?" Shinn demanded. "I'm just as able as anybody else."

"You're too injured, Shinn."

"Who says? I'm the only one that knows when I'm not able to fly!"

Victoria slammed her pen down on the shelf, the utensil clattering to the floor at her feet, and turned around to face him with her arms folded. "Shinn. You strained two tendons in your elbow when you went off during the battle two days ago. Normally a person with that type of injury, even a Coordinator, would be on the shelf for a good week and a half. The only reason you're even being allowed out of your quarters is because I said so. Do you honestly think you can pilot the Impulse at your full potential with your arm like that?"

"So you're saying you're not going to let me do it?"

"No."

"For crying...I can do as well as anybody else," Shinn responded angrily. He turned swiftly around and began to leave. "If it wasn't for me, this ship wouldn't even be here. I'm not about to let anyone else tell me when I can and can't fly." He shut the door behind him quickly, although if it hadn't been a sliding door he surely would have slammed it. Victoria stood facing the doorway with her expression unchanged. For every patient like Ida, there was always a patient like Shinn.

_**-Earth Alliance Forces Submarine Nautilus, Pacific Ocean, 1600.**_

Underwater travel is one of the most treacherous ways in which to get from one place to another. The constantly shifting deep water currents beneath the waves make navigation hazardous and at night it is almost impossible to see where you are going. That didn't stop the crews of the Earth Forces submarine task force in the Pacific, who's submersibles skimmed beneath the waves like giant steel whales and their stealth equipment was so sophisticated that it was difficult to detect even a slim trace of movement unless the boats went up to the surface.

This was the scenario the crew of the _Nautlius, _one of the proudest vessels in the submarine fleet, found themselves in as the afternoon began to drift into the evening. Captain Tasillo Morgan, a veteran of the previous war and an experienced skipper, stood in the command room with his arms folded. Other than a helmsmen and two sonar operators, the submarine's command room was relatively undermanned at this hour. Although Morgan would have liked to have the full compliment of crew on station at this time, this was how his superior officer wanted it.

Morgan, a relatively tall man with dusty blond hair and a full mustache, heard footsteps approaching from behind him and placed his hands behind his back, folding them there. "Status, Ensign Baldwin?"

"Current levels remain unchanged."

"What's our current position?"

"Currently approaching the eastern Solomon Islands, Captain. We'll be reaching the major reefs in a matter of hours."

"Very good." Morgan focused his attention back to the figure that had been approaching him and noticed a mug being extended toward him. "You know you don't have to do that, Commander," he advised the tall figure that was now standing to his left. His superior officer moved around him slowly, his long brown hair swinging back and forth as he moved, his lips almost completely hidden behind a full-length beard that was half-way between neat and untidy, depending on how one looked at it. At over six-feet tall, Commander Jacques Lambert was truly a sight to behold, but his personality was nowhere close to the physical presence he displayed. "We have a more than capable mess hall staff that would be more than willing to perform these menial tasks without hesitation.

Lambert handed a second mug to Baldwin, the helmsman, and turned back toward Morgan's position. "Yes, I know. But I like to keep my men happy," he said elegantly. He took a sip from his own mug. "Once I understand my men's tastes, I would prefer to serve them myself. After all, a happy soldier..."

"Is a good soldier," Morgan finished for him. He too drank from his mug and sighed quietly. "I will admit, you do have a good taste in fruits and vegetables." It was against Lambert's policy to serve coffee; he felt it wasn't up to the task of keeping his men in prime physical and mental condition for their jobs, so he preferred to serve fruit and vegetable juices.

Lambert grinned underneath his beard. "I had a feeling you'd like the grape and berry mix." He stepped forward to one of the sonar stations and placed his hand on the back of the chair. "What's the current situation? Is the lovely lady still there?" he asked, leaning over the ensign's shoulder.

"Yes, Commander. The ship is maintaining the same speed she was when we discovered her. Library just came back with a positive match."

"So that is the _Minerva,_ then, huh?" Lambert took another sip from his mug and swirled the liquid around inside of his mouth before swallowing. "How long until they reach, Carpentaria?"

"Approximately another day and a half, sir."

"Alright, then. We have little choice then." He moved back to stand beside Morgan. "Have the _Nautilus_ ready for combat, Captain. We'll be launching an attack."

"So soon, Commander?" Morgan asked.

Lambert glanced at his subordinate with the rim of the mug still set between his lips. "Of course, Captain. You've read Roanoke's report on that ship, haven't you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then you must realize just how noteworthy that ship is. They survived multiple attacks from Phantom Pain and just two days ago they burst through a full blockade at Orb." Lambert smirked, but Morgan had a hard time telling because of all the facial hair. "However, Roanoke also mentioned that the ship and its crew were very green, particularly its mobile suit pilots. In my estimation, that would mean the pilots they have are just out of training, which means they have seen almost no combat on Earth, or in conditions that are similar to Earth. Which means..."

"They've never seen combat at night," Morgan nodded.

"Exactly. Now...why would _we_ waste an opportunity such as this?"

"I understand, sir." With a nod, Lambert turned to leave the room. "Any specific orders you'd like to implement, sir?" Morgan asked.

"Just that we wait until sunset to launch. Have the ship in position by then." He stretched his arms out above his head. "I think I will catch up on some sleep before then. It is going to be a long night."

"Yes, sir."

_**-Minerva, 1815.**_

Bart heard the ugly chime emanate from his console right as the sun dipped below the western horizon directly in front of the _Minerva. _ He quickly searched through the ship's detector systems for the infraction, but to his surprise, the system that was sounding the alert was the ship's sonar system. "Crap..." Bart mumbled. "Captain!" It was then that he noticed that every eye on the bridge was on him, including Ian who had poked his head out of the lower half of the bridge.

"What is, Bart?" Talia demanded.

"Sonar detecting something approaching at a distance of 2400, ma'am! Believed to be an Earth Forces submarine carrier of a yet unknown class."

"All hands to Condition Red! All cleared pilots are to report to their machines immediately! Tell Aves and the pilots to prepare for underwater mobile suit combat! Arthur!"

"Got it!" Arthur responded, moving swiftly past Talia and taking his position to her left.

"Lower the bridge!"

The _Nautilus_ had shadowed the ZAFT warship for the better part of the day. Now that the ship was deep within the region of the Solomon Islands of the South Pacific, she had little room to maneuver with the abundance of low-lying reefs in the area. What played into the Earth Forces' hands even more however, was the fact that the sun had just gone down. Jacques Lambert's forces were known throughout the Earth Forces for their expertise in night combat.

Lambert sat in the cockpit of his own mobile suit, waiting patiently for the hatch on the side of the submarine to open. Unlike many individuals on this planet, Lambert thrived for the night. To him it was when the planet really came alive; creatures that appeared dormant and gentle by day would turn into something completely different once that golden orb disappeared beyond the horizon. He liked to think of himself as one of these creatures.

"Squad leaders, report," he ordered.

"Eagle Squad standing by and ready," his Windam squadron leader responded.

"Barracuda Squad all green and set to go," came the reply from the leader of his squad of Deep Forbidden underwater mobile suits.

Lambert himself sat in the cockpit of an especially rare mobile suit that had only been assigned to the top level sub commanders in the Earth Alliance fleet; the Forbidden Blue. Based on the earlier design of the GAT-X252 Forbidden, which had fought during the latter stages of the first war, this suit was designed primarily for sea combat. It could operate either in the air or underwater, depending on the pilot's preferences or the battlefield's dictation. But there was nothing a mobile suit could do to prepare its pilot for combat at night; once the sun went down everything changed. The pilot's instincts and skills took over. Only the best pilots could get through a night battle alive and return to fight another night. Lambert had trained his pilots vigorously in the art of night combat. His three basic instructions: if lose your sense of position, rely on your mobile suit's instruments to assist you; don't rely on your eyes, your other senses will be of more help to you in the dark than they will; and never underestimate an opponent during a night battle. Underestimation would only lead to a pilot's death, even the best.

The hatch in front of Lambert sighed open and he slowly brought the Blue out onto the extended platform that stuck out over the black waves the _Nautilus _now sat on. "As soon as we launch, move the _Nautilus _to a safe location a good distance away, Captain," Lambert advised Morgan. He checked his diagnostic board to make sure that the _Minerva_ was still exactly where it should be. _Good,_ Lambert said to himself. _They've maneuvered in between the reefs. They won't be able to pull the same maneuvers they did at Orb._ "Once all units have launched, array yourselves in Octopus Formation. Eagle Squad take the front, Barracuda the rear. I'll be in the center. Squad leaders also be advised. That ship already has a decorated combat record. Don't underestimate it." He smirked inside his helmet. "But don't overestimate it either."

"All hands to Condition Red! All hands to Condition Red! Sensors indicate the presence of a submarine carrier in the immediate area. All mobile suit pilots to your machines immediately and standby for launch."

Lunamaria sprinted up toward her ZAKU and was out of breath by the time she go there. "Damn...I'm still not used to having to run across the deck," she gasped. Gravity was a new thing for her, much like the rest of the crew.

"Come on Lunamaria," Rey called out to her from across the hangar deck. "Stop slacking. We've got a job to do."

Lunamaria scowled as she rode the lift up to her cockpit. "Easy for him to say."

Brad was already inside his own ZAKU's cockpit and was communicating with Meyrin about the situation. "How many, Meyrin?"

"Unknown at this moment. However, radar and sonar indicate the presence of both airborne and underwater enemies."

"Great," Brad murmured sarcastically. "Roland! You want us to equip for underwater combat?"

"You're going to have to," Roland admitted. "The _Minerva_ isn't designed to handle underwater combat effectively. It'll be up to you three to handle the sub forces with Shinn hurt."

"Rey, you and Lunamaria arm yourselves with bazookas and go underwater. I'll stay up on deck and deal with the airborne enemies."

"Roger!"

"_Be careful_, though," Brad added forcefully. "Fighting underwater isn't the same as fighting in the air! And it's _night_, which'll only make things worse."

"Geez. It must be pretty bad if you're actually showing concern for us," Lunamaria chided him.

"Look, I don't want you guys to die either. We're almost to Carpentaria. Let's make sure we all get there in one piece."

With the Condition Red alarm still sounding throughout the ship. Shinn managed to slip on his red pilot suit inside his quarters. Before zipping it up, he carefully removed the bandages on his elbow and flexed it twice. The pain that he had felt earlier was gone. _Who says I'm not fit to fly?_ he said gloriously to himself. Grabbing his helmet, Shinn peeked outside the doorway of the pilot's dressing room to make sure that no one was there. Given that Condition Red had been sounded, all the crew should now be at their battle stations, so the corridor was vacant. Shinn fixed his helmet on his head and wiped his eyes with his gloved hand. _I'll show them. They won't treat me like a prisoner anymore after this_. He then took off at a dead sprint toward the hangar.

"Library has confirmed a match, Captain!" Meyrin reported. The upper half of the bridge had descended to join with the lower half and now the entire bridge was bathed in darkness, which was only compounded by the fact that night was fast approaching. "Squad of eight Windams approaching from mark yellow eighty-nine delta. Another unit approaching from mark green sixty-two charlie...their underwater units, ma'am!"

"They're Deep Forbiddens more than likely, Captain," Arthur added.

"That's the standard underwater mobile suit for the Earth Forces now, correct?" Talia inquired.

"Yes, ma'am!"

"How many underwater units Meyrin?"

"Six! There's...also one unknown in between both squadrons."

"Unknown?" Talia asked.

"Yes!"

"Bring up an image, Bart!" Seconds later, a darkened image of a mobile suit with a large backpack that covered much of its upper body. What made it stand out however, was the blue armor it sported, which seemed to glow in the darkening sky. "Forbidden Blue..." Talia murmured. "It's a commander's unit! Tell Commander Bourdais and the others to be mindful of that one! The _Minerva_ will try to deal with the Windams ourselves."

"What about the Impulse, Captain?" Arthur asked. "Are we going to leave it there?"

"We'll have to, Arthur. It's too late to change the O.S. to fit somebody else." Talia was cursing herself inside her mind for not doing that earlier. Now they were stuck without their most powerful mobile suit in a battle that looked to be becoming increasingly more difficult. _Nice job, Gladys._

"Enemy units now at a distance of 1000, Captain! Closing fast!" Bart reported.

"Have the ZAKU's launch. Ian, activate all weapons systems. Target the command unit and the airborne Windams!"

The _Minerva's_ starboard hatch swung open to allow the ZAKU's to launch. Lunamaria, a long, black bazooka clutched in her ZAKU's right hand, stepped gingerly out onto the edge of the catapult. "Course clear, Lunamaria!" Meyrin said to her sister. "Go any time you want."

"Turn your infrared system on Lunamaria," Brad advised her. "It's not much, but you'll be able to see underwater better."

Lunamaria activated the seldom used system and the normally pink eye focal in the center of her ZAKU's head changed abruptly to blood red. In front of her, Lunamaria's view screen took on a reddish tint. What changed however was that the heat sources below the _Minerva_ were now illuminated. _Well, it's better than nothing,_ Lunamaria admitted. "Lunamaria Hawke, ZAKU...uh...jumping off!"

Rey rolled his eyes as Lunamaria's ZAKU dropped out of his sight and disappeared beneath the waves. "Are you sure you'll be able to handle that command unit by yourself, Commander?" he asked.

"I'll be fine, Rey. Now get down there. You two are the _Minerva's_ only underwater defense."

"Roger! Rey za Burrel, ZAKU, _lifting_ off!" As his ZAKU descended toward the black waves, he heard Lunamaria respond with a sarcastic remark, but he paid no attention.

Rey hit the waves with his ZAKU shuddering through the impact. The increased pressure from the water slowed his descent to where he could control his fall, but it also made movement harder. Rey noted that he would have to used the full extent of his controls in order to keep his ZAKU moving swiftly, but with the Deep Forbiddens approaching quickly, that could be irrelevant. These mobile suit had been designed specifically with underwater combat in mind. Granted they also could operate efficiently in the air, but since the Earth Forces really had no capable underwater attack forces, their primary usage was being implemented beneath the waves. Rey had done a little simulation work against these underwater units, but even he was smart enough to admit that his experience level was practically equal to that of a novice.

The Forbiddens were outlined in bright cherry red through the infrared lens in the ZAKU's head, so Lunamaria could at least somewhat understand where they were. The first of the units came in swiftly, brushing past the two ZAKUs in a flurry of bubbles. The bazooka she carried was about the same length and weight as her standard rifle, but coupled with the increased pressure underwater, she was finding it more difficult to aim properly. She fired one shot right away, but because of the increased pressure, it missed by a great margin. By that time, the rest of the Deep Forbiddens had arrived and they swooped past her right shoulder from behind, throwing her ZAKU into a disoriented tumble. Lunamaria struggled to regain control, but the Forbiddens kept coming at her, keeping her off balance.

Rey managed to brace himself against a protruding edge of coral reef, the long streak of underwater rock holding his ZAKU up under the arm, maintaining his balance long enough to get off some shots from his bazooka. However, in similar style to Lunamaria, he had little luck due to the new conditions. Rey gritted his teeth and quickly attempted to distance himself from the attacking mobile suits so he could work on his diagnostics. One of the Forbiddens saw him and attacked, catching Rey's ZAKU behind the left knee, sending Rey into a backwards tumble that was only impeded by another Forbidden smashing into him with a shoulder tackle that sent his ZAKU spiraling into a portion of the reef, leaving his unit partially buried.

"Rey!" Lunamaria called out. She had little chance to help him because the ZAKU's soon had her on the defensive once again as well and despite her best efforts, Lunamaria could not score a single hit against the enemy units.

Above water, Brad fired his rifle up at the rapidly approaching Windams and the Forbidden Blue. Lambert maintained his present course, but was somewhat caught off guard by what he saw. "Only one mobile suit? Where's the white and blue one?" Neo's report and the battle footage from Orb clearly showed the presence of another mobile suit on board the ZAFT ship, but so far it had not made an appearance. "Could it still be under repair?" Lambert finally had to change his course as Brad's and attacks from the _Minerva's _guns were now getting a little too close for comfort. "Fine. If you're that eager to be destroyed, then I'm happy to oblige." Bringing his mobile suit's backpack down over its head, Lambert fired its heavy assault cannon at the lone ZAKU below him.

Brad saw the attack coming and got off a few return shots with his rifle before having to dive out of the way before the beam struck the _Minerva_ in the forward deck at the top of the ship's bow. The ship shuddered from the impact and Talia held tightly to the arm rests of her chair. "Change of plans! Have Commander Bourdais concentrate on the Windams! Ian, use the ship's cannons to keep that command unit away from the ship!"

"I'll try, but that thing looks fast!" Ian admitted.

"Incoming missiles from two o'clock!" Bart shouted.

"Evade! Turn to port 20! Aim Tristans, fire!"

Lambert circled around the ship in a relatively wide arc, keeping his backpack in close combat position. "Well, at least Roanoke was right about one thing. You certainly won't go down without a fight." He fired his cannon again and quickly back flipped the Blue so as to avoid a beam attack from the _Minerva's_ Tristan cannons. He pushed ever closer to the ship, brushing past the ship's bridge so closely that many on board winced as he came past them at full speed. Now behind the ship, Lambert was able to launch several attacks without intrusion, scoring hits to the ship's stern and port sides.

Leaning around the bridge, Brad fired his rifle at the Blue again. "Damn you!" he cursed. He assumed that the Blue would once again take evasive action to the side as he had done before, but instead, in a maneuver that completely baffled Brad, the Blue simply dropped down into the water behind the ship. "What the...?" Brad gasped. "It sank...?"

"Incoming contacts! Torpedoes!"

"What?" Talia gasped.

"It dove underwater! It's attacking us from behind!" Brad shouted through the radio.

"Felix, take us up! Get us above the water! Ian, watch out for those Windams!" The ship shook again as a Windam managed to damage the ship's starboard side this time with a well placed shot. Talia ground her teeth together roughly as she waited for the shaking to subside. Once again, her decision not to utilize the Impulse appeared to be hurting her.

Shinn felt the ship rise upwards as he bolted into the hangar with his helmet now securely fastened around his head. _Come on, tell me it's still here...yes!_ Directly ahead of him sat the Core Splendor, not having been moved from its normal resting place on the lift to the catapult. The top hatch was already open and Vino was attempting to disconnect all of the computer wiring from the Core Splendor's circuitry when Shinn jumped onto the Core Splendor's wing. "Shinn? What the-?" The ship shook violently again from another hit and the force threw Vino off of the Core Splendor's wing and to the ground, his laptop crashing down beside him.

Shinn managed to hang onto the Core Splendor's side and swung his body into the cockpit. "Vino! Get the catapult moving! Open the hatch!"

"B-but Shinn-!"

"Dammit, Vino! Do you _want_ to die?!" Vino stiffened at the rebuke and after a pause, he turned toward the catapult control board and began to activate the launch sequence. Shinn sealed the Core Splendor's hatch almost at the same time as Vino punched in the activation code that he had been taught once he had become the Core Splendor's chief mechanic.

Steam started to spew out of the cracks beneath the lift and the Core Splendor began its rise to the catapult an instant later. "Vino! What the hell are you doing?!" Aves' voice thundered angrily from behind Vino as the _Minerva's_ Chief Mechanic ran towards his subordinate. "We have orders not to let him launch!"

"But, sir..." Vino started. "We...we could all..."

"I'm aware of that, Vino!" Aves responded, his voice still in a fit of rage. "You're disobeying a _direct order_ from the Captain herself!"

"We're under attack, Chief Aves!" Shinn's voice sounded through the hangar's speaker system. Aves looked up at the Core Splendor as it rose up toward the catapult. "In this situation those orders don't mean a damn thing if we're destroyed."

Aves was still fuming. He turned to Vino and yelled, "You started this. Open the damn hatch!"

"Y-Yes, sir!" Vino responded and proceeded to do just that.

"_What?!_" Talia shouted incredulously into her chair's phone. Her voice carried enough energy to startle everyone on the bridge. "He hasn't been cleared to take off, Chief! What gave you the idea to let him launch?"

"The Kid just jumped into the cockpit and took off. You know how he is, so I couldn't do anything to stop him," Aves responded.

Talia groaned heavily, knowing that now they had little choice. "Very well. Remind me to have a stern conversation with whoever is involved in this matter after all this is over." She hung up the phone. "Prepare the catapult for Impulse launch, Meyrin!"

"You're letting him launch?" Arthur asked her.

"What choice do we have now, Arthur? Besides," the ship shuddered once again, "given our present situation we need all the help we can get."

"Two Windams approaching from nine o'clock!"

"Evade!"

The lift settled into position at the rear of the Core Splendor's own catapult and Shinn finished pre-launch checks as Meyrin's voice began to sound over the radio. "Catapult connection, all green! System, online! Core Splendor, clear for takeoff!"

Shinn looked out at the open hatch in front of him; the horizon beyond was a mesh of oranges and reds, signifying that he was going launch into almost total darkness. _it won't matter,_ Shinn told himself. _I wiped out the Earth Forces at Orb. I'll do it again here!_ "Shinn Asuka! Core Splendor, taking off!"

The Blue emerged from the water after traveling beneath the _Minerva_ after Lambert launched his torpedo attack. His underwater units were faring well against the ZAKUs beneath the waves and the Windams were doing enough to keep the ZAFT ship on its heels. His sensors notified him to another object racing into the sky from his starboard and when he looked to see what it was, he was filled with an overwhelming sense of gratification. "So...the white and blue one finally makes its appearance."

Shinn used the Core Splendor's laser guidance system to dock up with the Chest Flyer, Leg Flyer, and finally the Force Silhouette to form the Force Impulse. Once he was set, the first thing he saw was the command unit sitting almost directly in front of him. "Alright, big guy! You're first on my agenda today!" He took off at full speed towards the Blue.

Lambert smirked inside his helmet as the Impulse charged. "Hmpf," he chuckled. "Finally I get to have a little fun."

The Blue launched an attack from its forward cannon, but Shinn barrel rolled the Impulse and dodged it. He howled as he charged in at the Blue, but Lambert side-stepped his attempted beam saber assault and swerved behind the Impulse, blasting away with his cannon once again. Shinn deflected two of Lambert's shots and raced back towards the blue with his beam saber extended. Lambert brought his backpack down in front of him to block the shot and Shinn's attack failed to penetrate because he struck it at an awkward angle. Lambert then swiftly raised his backpack upwards and tossed the Impulse aside, Shinn spinning his mobile suit around in order to regain control, his elbow suddenly tensing as he performed his maneuver. _Damn. I thought it was better._

A duo of Windams then scrambled into the fight, firing their rifles at the Impulse, but Shinn dodged their attacks easily. He fired his CIWS machine guns at the Windams, destroying one of the mobile suits' rifles. Shinn then came at the defenseless Windam so quickly that the pilot never had time to react before Shinn sliced into the mobile suit's cockpit, sending it falling down into the sea below.

Lambert had used the distraction to move below Shinn and once again launched an attack with the Blue's cannon. Shinn evaded the attack and snarled. "So, you want to play like that, huh?" Pointing the Impulse skyward, Shinn launched himself at full speed toward the Blue. Lambert pulled back on his controls to avoid Shinn's attack, but instead of continuing on, Shinn suddenly reversed thrust and turned the Impulse hard to the left, bringing himself face to face with the Blue. Shinn aimed his beam saber at the cockpit. "Say goodbye!" His attack never reached its designated target. Shinn was taken aback when the Blue aimlessly deflected his attack with its left arm, holding it high above the Impulse's head.

Lambert smirked. "Not so fast, whitey." He landed a hard shot to the Impulse's torso, throwing Shinn back into his seat, his body straining against his restraints, and his elbow cried out in pain due to the force of the impact as it struck his seat, causing Shinn to cry out himself. Lambert released the Impulse's arm and then struck with a swift kick to the face, sending the Impulse falling away. "This is _Earth_, big shot. It's all fair game down here." Shinn struggled to bring the Impulse out of his fall and by now his elbow was in so much pain that Shinn could hardly feel anything else. By the time he righted himself, just a few feet above the water, the Blue was gone.

The _Minerva_ was managing to keep herself going in its original direction for the most part, but with the Windams continuing to swarm, and its mobile suit forces preoccupied, that task was becoming increasingly more difficult. "We have confirmation of six targets underwater, Talia," Roland reported. "Rey and Lunamaria say they've got their hands full down there."

"Tell them to hang on as long as they can. We have to get out of the battle zone. Felix! Try to keep the _Minerva_ in close proximity to the Impulse."

Felix turned around and opened his mouth. "That may be a little difficult, Captain. If Shinn keeps moving as erratic as he is now, that's going to be next to impossible."

"Do your best, then," Talia advised. "Shinn's still hurt after all. And we can't afford to lose him now," she added to herself.

"What? Why didn't any of you try to stop him?" Arthur winced at Victoria's harsh tone as he spoke to the doctor through the ship's intercom system.

"By the time we realized what was happening, it was too late," he responded. "He's already out there and it's not feasible for us to bring him back at this point."

"His elbow can barely move at all as it is without pain," Victoria pointed out. "If he takes any large hits, he risks tearing his elbow to pieces."

"We know that. Unfortunately we'll just have to wait and see what happens."

Victoria sighed. "When he comes back, can I have a few words with him?"

"By all means," Arthur answered. "If you're in that big of a hurry to have another chat with him, then go right ahead. We're not going to stop you." Victoria hung up a moment later. Arthur sighed. He noticed that Talia was staring at him. "I can tell you one thing, I sure as hell don't want to be anywhere near that conversation."

"Let's get out of this first, Arthur," Talia reminded him. He nodded.

Lambert had once again turned his attention to the _Minerva_ after having disposed of the Impulse. The ship was burning in several places, but overall the damage didn't appear to be too severe. "Hmm...it seems I underestimated them," he remarked. "That is indeed a well armed ship and it is definitely crewed by a fine group of soldiers." He fired his main cannon at the _Minerva_ and struck the ship on the forward deck, causing fire and smoke to blast up into the darkening sky. The long ZAKU on the deck returned fire, forcing Lambert to evade, but his last attack appeared to have at least inflicted some damage to the ship. "Maybe I'll need to try something different."

Before he could decide on what to do, a rifle shot caressed the Blue's right shoulder from behind. Lambert pushed his mobile suit to the left and turned to see the Impulse charging at him once again. Shinn screamed as he grappled hands with the Blue, Lambert not giving any ground to the Impulse. The mobile suits pushed against each other at full force, neither one budging so much as an inch. "You bastard!" Shinn cried.

"What's wrong with you?" Lambert asked him. "Are you that eager to die?" Shinn opened up on the Blue with his Vulcans, but Lambert merely back flipped the Blue away from the Impulse and came at him, one of the Blue's spears not clutched in his machine's right hand. Shinn brought his beam saber up to parry and the two blades locked in a shower of sparks.

"What?" Shinn gasped when he realized that his beam saber had not inflicted any damage upon the Blue's simple metal spear. Then he realized that his injured elbow had not allowed him to put any effort into the attack, so he was basically handing the beam saber to the Blue.

"Now you realize the vast differences in our abilities!" Lambert berated him. He raised his leg and kicked the Impulse hard in the stomach. Shinn doubled over in pain and Lambert raised his arm high above his head and struck the Impulse square in the back with his spear. "This will teach you to have some manners!"

The Impulse fell like a rock and struck the water with a gigantic splash. Shinn's elbow felt as if it would snap off at any moment, he was in so much pain. The pain was so great that he could barely muster the energy to work the Impulse's controls as the mobile suit descended into the depths of the sea. He was effectively trying to pilot the Impulse with one arm and even for someone of Shinn's capabilities, that was stretching it a little too far.

Rey, who had managed to free himself from the coral entrapment, and Lunamaria both noticed the column of bubbles underwater as they continued to defend against the Deep Forbiddens. It wasn't until the Impulse emerged from the cascade that they realized what had happened. "Shinn!" Lunamaria called out to him.

Rey launched a torpedo from his bazooka, but the Deep Forbiddens whisked away without much effort. "I'll help him!" he said to Lunamaria. "Cover me!"

"Right!" Lunamaria kept up the assault while Rey glided through the dark waters toward the Impulse, which was only visible due to its bright eyes.

Rey grabbed the Impulse around the torso and examined it. "Shinn! Shinn!" he called out to his friend. "Are you alright?"

"Ow..." came the grumbled response.

"Yeah, you're alright." Rey glanced at his surroundings and suddenly saw two of the Deep Forbiddens closing in on them. A barrage of torpedoes came at him, but Rey was able to push his ZAKU and the Impulse away with a quick burst of his thrusters. Taking shelter in a lockup of coral reef, Rey keyed his radio. "_Minerva_, do you read me?"

"Rey! Shinn fell into the ocean!" Meyrin's frantic voice shouted back to him.

"I know, I've got him. Shinn's hurt and the ZAKU doesn't have enough thrust to get us _both_ out of the water though."

"Can you hold out for a little while longer?" Brad's voice chimed in.

Rey had switched off most of his systems, only keeping his life support turned on in an attempt to hide from the Deep Forbiddens, which were still scouring the depths for the two mobile suits. "For a little bit, I think."

"Alright. Just hang on. I'll get you out in a second." Brad fired his rifle a few more times up at the Windams, but his shots did no damage, which was exactly how he wanted it, because the Windams, instead of continuing to attack, had gone evasive, which would give him time. "Bridge, can you put up a bigger barrage to keep the Windams and the command unit away?"

"I'll try, but so far I haven't had any luck," Ian responded.

"Just get a lot of fire up there, you don't have to hit 'em." Brad realized how stupid he sounded right now, but he didn't care. "Aves! Can you get me a bazooka and a salvage hook?"

There was a pause. "What are you going to do with those?" Aves asked at last.

"Go fishing."

The Blue continued to circle the _Minerva_ and Lambert launched sporadic attacks to test the ship's armor in places, but otherwise he kept his machine at a safe distance. His Windam squad was still relatively in tact and he hadn't lost a signal from any of his underwater units, so the battle was going surprisingly well. "But we can't afford to let this fight go on for very long," he reminded himself. After all, this was a war and one couldn't afford to be nice to one's enemies.

"Meyrin! Have Lunamaria come up out of the water and onto the deck to cover Commander Bourdais!" Talia ordered. "Ian, keep that barrage up! Load all the missile tubes you can! Bart, where's the Blue?"

"It's behind us. Red thirty-two, charlie."

Talia considered her options and she concocted an idea. It was relatively straight forward, but in this situation it could work remarkably well. "Get a smokescreen ready, Bart! Once we've made contact with Rey and Shinn, deploy it."

"A...smokescreen?"

"Isn't it hard enough for them to see as it is, Talia?" Roland inquired. "What goods a smokescreen going to do at night?"

"These pilots have obviously been trained for night attacks," Talia deduced. "This atmosphere isn't going to interfere with their minds in any way, shape, or form. But smoke is smoke when it comes to a mobile suit's systems. Felix! Once the smoke is deployed, full power to the engines and head straight ahead!"

"Yes, ma'am!" _Hopefully this works, _Talia hoped, gulping down a lump in her throat.

Lunamaria slammed back down onto the deck after having risen out of the water. Her unit was completely soaked, but that didn't mean she couldn't fight. Lunamaria was upset with herself because she hadn't been able to score a single hit on the underwater units, but the _Minerva_ was still floating. _I can still fight,_ Lunamaria said to herself. _I can still make a difference!_

"Lunamaria, take my rifle!" Brad said to her as he emerged from the hangar with a bazooka in his hand, the sharp, steel back salvage hook sticking out of the barrel. "That bazooka won't do you a bit of good up here."

Behind the _Minerva_, Lambert activated his thrusters and headed toward the ship, his cannon aimed directly at the rear of the bridge. "It's time this was ended, ZAFT ship. You've fought well, but it's time for you to meet your watery grave."

Brad stepped onto the extreme edge of the _Minerva's_ port side of the forward deck and leaned over the edge. Using his infrared system, he searched the underwater depths for the Impulse and the ZAKU's locations and finally found them just a short distance in front of the ship. He only had one shot at this, so he had to be one hundred percent accurate if he wanted to pull this off. "I'll give you the signal when I get 'em, Captain."

"Very well. Are you sure you can pull this off, Commander?" Talia asked.

Brad almost smirked. "Just don't get yourself destroyed and we'll be fine. Felix, keep her steady."

"Why, what are you-?"

The ZAKU stepped off of the forward deck and plunged toward the ocean beneath the _Minerva. _Brad almost nonchalantly reached out the ZAKU's right hand and grabbed hold of the _Minerva's_ folded wing and held himself steady there. The ship shuddered as its weight distribution was suddenly forced out of balance, but Felix managed to keep the ship steady. Brad turned on his targeting monitor and brought the bazooka into a firing position. "Here it comes, Rey! Catch this!"

He fired the bazooka and the salvage hook, with a steel chain attached to it, sprinted down into the water and disappeared beneath the waves. Rey had to use his infrared monitor to see the hook coming toward them and when he did, he also noticed that the Deep Forbiddens had seen it as well, for they were now charging at the helpless mobile suits. "Hang on, Shinn!" Rey called out to him. The distance between the hook and the ZAKU closed in and so did the distance between the Forbiddens, who were now unleashing a volley of torpedoes upon them. Rey reached his ZAKU's hand out to grasp the hook which seemed to slow down as it came closer and closer to them. Finally, after an eternity of waiting, and an eternity of listening to his sensors howl alarms at him, Rey grabbed hold of the steel hook with a firm grasp. He grappled the Impulse around the waist with his other arm and yelled, "Hang on, Shinn!" Rey hit his thrusters, and the hook pulled the two mobile suits away from their hiding space just seconds before the torpedoes detonated, obliterating the reef where they had once been hidden.

"I've got 'em!" Brad shouted into the radio.

"Deploy smokescreen! Engines to maximum! Get us out of here!" Talia screamed.

Lambert was merely a few meters behind the ship when the smoke appeared on his view screen. He slowed his velocity, but still could not stay out of the smoke. With his instruments and his vision clouded, Lambert could not see anything in front of him in the darkness, including the _Minerva_.

Lunamaria moved her ZAKU over to the port side and extended her hand to help Brad back up onto the deck. A Windam had managed to get through the smoke and was now racing toward them. Brad noticed it before Lunamaria did. "Lunamaria, look out!"

His warning came just in the nick of time. Without even aiming, Lunamaria got off one shot with Brad's rifle and it struck the Windam directly in the torso, reducing it to a smoldering cloud of fire and dust. Lunamaria was completely shocked at the aftermath. "Did I...I just..."

"Lunamaria!" Brad called out to her again. Regaining her composure, she helped Brad back onto the deck and he then braced himself so that he could reel in the Impulse and the ZAKU.

Felix turned the engines to full power then and the _Minerva_ lurched forward at full speed. The ZAKU and the Impulse raced through the underwater darkness towards the surface as the _Minerva_ pulled them along in its slip stream. "Shinn, are you alright?" Rey asked. There was no answer at first. "Shinn?"

"I'm fine," came the stern reply. Rey sighed quietly inside his helmet. Shinn had caused a lot of unnecessary trouble today and Rey knew it. They didn't say a word to each other as they were brought back in.

Behind the cloud of smoke, the Blue hovered in silence as the remaining Windams came upon him and formed up around him. "Commander!" one of his pilots beckoned to him.

"All units are to stand down," Lambert ordered calmly. "We've lost the advantage. Send a message to the _Nautilius_. We'll be returning." Lambert continued to stare into the smoke until it dissipated and was replaced once again by the complete blackness of the night sky. Although the mission had been unsuccessful, he had managed to learn a great deal about the new warship and its mobile suits. That information would come in very handy during the next weeks, Lambert had no doubt. And whether he wanted to admit it or not, the ZAFT ship had gained his respect on this night.

_**-Minerva, 2000.**_

Minutes passed before Talia even bothered to ask what the situation was. All the sensors reported back with readings of all clear. It appeared as though the Earth Forces had retreated for the time being. Talia could have relaxed then and there, but for the next hour she maintained her officer composure and continued giving orders until they were a good distance away from the battle zone.

Finally, with the bridge's lights now shining brightly all around her, and most of the bridge personnel having gone away from their stations, she leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and sighed. "You were wonderful, Talia." Roland's voice was unusually soothing to her now.

"Any casualties?" she asked, ignoring his compliment.

"Some. But medical says that none of them appear to be life-threatening."

"We were lucky, then," Talia admitted. She rubbed her eyes with her hands and blinked them repeatedly. "Especially considering that we've never fought an Earth battle at night."

"And given the circumstances of what took place during the battle, we should probably consider ourselves lucky there as well." He smirked. "Though you said yourself that you're a woman with lots of luck, so maybe you had a good deal to do with that."

Talia fought back a smile and maintained her serious expression. "Roland. Send a message to Commander Bourdais. From this point on, until we reach Carpentaria, and _until_ I say otherwise, Rey will be the pilot of the Impulse."

Roland folded his arms. "And what about Shinn?"

Talia frowned. "Have him thrown in the brig and keep him there until further notice."

In the hangar, the sound of Brad's helmet smacking against the steel deck echoed throughout the entire complex. "Are you out of your mind or are you just stupid?" Shinn was holding his elbow with his opposite hand as Brad scolded him vehemently. Aves, holding a frightened looking Vino by the arm, Lunamaria, and Rey stood by while Brad dissected his disobedient subordinate. "What part of not allowed in the Impulse, did you not understand?" Shinn scowled and turned his head, but didn't respond. "Don't look away from me, Kid!" Brad shot back. "I don't like doing this, but what you did was just plain ignorant. You could've gotten yourself and a whole lot of others killed out there!"

"That would've happened even if I hadn't taken off," Shinn fired back. "I probably saved a lot of lives by going out there as it is."

"Did you ever think there was a reason why you weren't given permission to launch?" Brad continued. "Look at yourself. You're lucky your elbow is still in one piece and probably even more lucky that you're even standing here now."

"I'm fine! You don't have to worry about me and neither does anyone else!"

"Yes, we do, Shinn!" came a new voice. Aves stepped aside to allow Victoria to get closer to Shinn and Brad. She did not look happy at all and that was painting a nice picture. She placed her hands on her hips and said, "Whether you think so or not, we do care about you. You know why? Because we're relying on you, Shinn. You're one of the best pilots in the entire ZAFT forces and your piloting its newest mobile suit. Everyone on board this ship is depending on you to do your job and do it right. But when you go out injured like you did, you're not only putting yourself in danger, you're putting all of your comrades in danger as well. The battlefield has no place for outright stupidity."

"What do you care?" Shinn responded angrily. "I just did my job. Don't try to tell me how to do it right!"

The sharp sound of Victoria's slap resounded throughout the hangar. Shinn's hand immediately went for his face, but his elbow screamed in pain once again. Lunamaria and Vino were shocked, but Rey, Brad, and Aves showed no change in expression whatsoever. "Are you out of your mind? By going out with an injury you're putting the _Minerva_ in more danger than you would if you had stayed behind. Because if you go get yourself killed for no reason, all of us are going to suffer because of it Shinn. Physically and emotionally." Her voice level dropped somewhat, but she still spoke in a terse manner. Shinn's face was bright red where Victoria's palm had made contact with it. "Hopefully you'll remember that the next time you decide to do something like that. And hopefully there will be a next time for you." She turned around to leave, but spoke to Brad beforehand. "Captain's orders are to throw him in the brig."

Shinn's eyes widened and his mouth dropped at that news. Before he could say anything, Brad held up a palm. "Don't bother saying anything, Kid. This is a _Captain's_ order. Nothing you say is going to get you out of it."

Victoria glanced over her shoulder at him. "You said before you thought we were treating you like a prisoner. Well now you've given us no choice, Shinn." She departed without another word, leaving an exasperated Shinn holding onto both his cheek and his elbow.

Brad grabbed him by the shoulder and pushed him in front of him. "Move. Captain says you're in the brig until further notice. There's nothing you can say or do to change that." He walked Shinn past Lunamaria, who could not think of anything helpful to say, and Rey, who knew that saying something would not help the situation.

Aves walked in sequence with Brad as they escorted Shinn and Vino to the brig. As they prepared to exit the hangar, Yolant, who was traveling in the opposite direction, asked, "How long are they in for?"

"As long as the Captain says," Brad responded sternly.

"Ouch. Sorry guys." Shinn didn't look at Yolant even when his friend was standing directly beside him. Yolant glanced around him casually and then leaned in close to Shinn's ear. "So...I heard you saw Ida naked." Shinn tensed completely, his whole body and mind suddenly freezing. "I've said it before and I'll say it again. _You are a lucky pervert,_" Yolant teased, then he casually walked away and Shinn, whose entire body had gone rigid, was unresponsive as he was led away towards the brig.

_**-Chairman Dullindal's Office, Aprilius One, October 23, C.E. 73, 0000.**_

Athrun had forgotten how difficult it could be to put on the uniform of a ZAFT soldier. While the pants and boots weren't too much of a burden, if the coat wasn't fastened properly, it could be very uncomfortable to someone who wasn't used to it. After a short waiting period, Athrun had managed to get himself into the Red ZAFT coat and made his way to Gilbert's office, where the Chairman had accepted his request for a meeting.

He found the Chairman and Meer awaiting his arrival. Meer approached him as he entered and embraced him; Athrun returned it somewhat but he kept his glance on Gilbert, who slowly stood up from his desk and retrieved something from the top of it. "You look splendid, Athrun!" Meer beamed, looking him over.

"Thank you," Athrun responded seriously.

Gilbert came to stand before Athrun and added, "I'm very happy that you decided to take up my offer, Athrun." He handed the blue-haired man a box with a clear, plastic cover. Inside was a pin in the shape of a white flower. "Take this."

Athrun stared at it for a few seconds, realizing what it was. "This is a FAITH insignia..."

Gilbert nodded. "I didn't think it would be right to have you placed within the normal chain of command and I'm sure that would be troublesome for you as well. You're presence is required elsewhere. This will make things more convenient for everyone."

"I...understand...I guess..."

"Although the meaning of the FAITH detachment is to pledge your allegiance to me, I'm going to allow you to just pledge your allegiance to your own conviction and intuition."

"Chairman...I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, Athrun. You're a person who can follow what you trust, never submit before intimidation, and fight when necessary, correct?"

Athrun thinned his lips into a straight line. "I think so."

"I know so," Gilbert reassured him. "So please, use the power you have acquired when you feel it be necessary. I also ask that you please do it not only for ZAFT and the PLANTs, but for a world where everyone can live peacefully. That is what my goal is for this world."

It took some time, but Athrun eventually accepted the insignia from Gilbert. "Yes, sir."

Gilbert nodded. He motioned to Meer with his hand and she made a quick exit, but not before giving Athrun a loving smile in return. Both Athrun and Gilbert waited for her to leave and then Gilbert moved closer to Athrun and whispered, "I know you must be concerned about the situation in Orb, but I need you to join the _Minerva_."

"Why?" Athrun asked.

Gilbert sighed slightly. "From what my commanders have told me they have been in quite a sticky situation as of late. Although I have the utmost confidence in the crew, I, as well as many of us in the high echelons of command would feel much better if you were with them as well. Your skills as a pilot and tactician will assist them greatly. Particularly your insights as a pilot. I have a feeling that you being there would help the pilots on that ship very much."

"When you say pilots, you mean Shinn right?" Athrun inquired.

Gilbert turned his head slightly. "Possibly." Athrun managed to smile a little. "I have high hopes for that battleship," Gilbert continued. "That they may serve a role similar to the _Archangel's_ role in the previous war." Athrun frowned at the mention of the _Archangel._ He had fought on board that ship for the betterment of the final months of the war. He had never thought of the _Minerva_ in terms with the _Archangel_ before, but now that Gilbert had raised the point, he realized that the two ships could share a lot in common. "Unfortunately, the Savior will not be ready for sortie for a few more days, so you must forgive me for asking you to have patience."

"I understand. I'll wait until it's ready and then I'll go to Earth and join the _Minerva_."

"Thank you." Athrun started to take his leave, but he stopped himself. "Chairman." Gilbert glanced at him. Athrun turned his head slightly. "Do you want me to say hello to your children for you?"

Gilbert slowly smiled. "If you don't mind, I would greatly appreciate that." Athrun exited the Chairman's office shortly thereafter, no longer as a civilian trying to avoid taking part in this new conflict, but as one of the most powerful soldiers representing ZAFT and the PLANTs.

**END PHASE-15.**


End file.
